Fire Of My Loins
by Shady Love
Summary: Sequel to Fire In The Shade. Merlin and Aria try to put their past behind them and move on. But their enemies are growing stronger and when they start plotting against Camelot, it's each other they turn to. Merlin/OC, some Arthur/OC
1. Prologue

**This isn't how the quote goes, but second time's the charm! I'm terribly sorry I deleted the previous sequel without prior notice. It's just, I feel like I wasn't writing it to the best of my ability and the beginning didn't start as well as I wanted. SO, I deleted it and started fresh, with new ideas. I hope you like this much more (And if not, I'll re-upload the past story and work from there)! It's given a new title, I felt it complimented the prequel much more. Plus, who doesn't love a few **_**Lolita**_** references now and then…**

**No need for more dramatic introductions, please enjoy the new sequel to **_**Fire In The Shade**_**!**

* * *

_**Fire Of My Loins  
Prologue**_

The last thing she was worrying about was her appearance.

An exhausted Aria propped herself up on her elbows, her hair matted with sweat, her face shining, and her breathing uneven. She was a mess, wearing only her slip during the process. Next to her, the temporary maid, Guinevere, wiped the droplets of moisture from her face, whispering that she had done it. Aria cast her dark brown eyes to the court physician who had assisted her. She had debated on getting a midwife particularly for this moment but when it came down to it, she trusted the old man above all.

"Congratulations, Lady Aria," announced Gaius, a smile playing on his mouth, "It's a girl."

Aria tipped her head back and sighed in satisfaction. It was practically hell, the flurry of women who ran into her room, Gwen ordering them out as Gaius began the procedure, Aria feeling an intense pain as she gave birth to her child… the princess would always admire herself for how much time had passed since she had finally screamed out. But it was done. Her baby girl was born.

Gaius cradled the newborn in his arms, wrapped in sheets torn from Arthur and Aria's bed at the last minute. She had dark hair, rosy pink cheeks, and a healthy, throaty yowl that erupted from her lips when she came into the world. When the baby first opened her eyes, Aria was the first to notice the slits of pale blue. Her baby was beautiful.

"She's gorgeous, Aria," commented Gwen, eyeing the infant with admiration in her eyes. Gaius carefully handed her to the maid and she widened her eyes when the baby let out a small mewl in her arms. "She looks like you!" Aria smiled tiredly, shaking her head. She gathered herself up to lean against the pillows, doing her best to smooth down her disheveled state. The baby's mewls turned into yowls once more and Gwen gingerly handed her to her mother. "She wants you, my lady."

Aria looked down at her baby girl, and she quieted, now that she was with her mother. It was like they were the only two in the room, now that they were together. She gazed at her little girl, falling in love instantly. Aria held her close to her body, not taking her eyes off her infant. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," she said quietly to her. The princess felt tears of happiness sting her eyes but her instinct mind was tossed aside and she was suddenly very aware of who was in the room. Squeezing her eyes so as to push the tears back into their ducts, she looked up at Gwen and Gaius. She wanted to be alone with her child but at the same time, she wanted them there with her. The baby's father was not there.

"It's best you start feeding right away, my lady," Gaius suggested, cleaning up his hands. "It was a tough birth, she may need nourishment." He began to clean up his supplies that he brought, ready to go tell the king of the news. Gwen looked around, making a mental note to replace the sheets. Nobody would want Arthur coming home to his bed ripped up.

"Of course she does," Aria chuckled and Gwen followed, taking a seat next to her. She was the replacement after Aria's former maid Rose was killed by the Great Dragon's attack on Camelot about nine months ago. The two had grown close and Aria had no problem having her around during this time.

"What will you name her, my lady?" Gwen asked curiously, turning her eyes up from the infant to Aria. The princess had thought about names for a while now and had exchanged ideas with Arthur here and there on the rare occasion he was home. He had been waiting on a boy as they both knew it was what his father, King Uther, would have preferred. Boys were more desirable to take the throne. But on the chance that it was a girl, Arthur told Aria he could name her whatever she wanted. It was difficult to choose the perfect name for the perfect child.

Arthur was not here. He had been gone for so long with his knights and his manservant, Merlin. They had missed the birth and it upset her even though she chose not to dwell on it too much. Aria turned to look at the open window and then back into the lovely blue eyes of her baby. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as the right name came to her mind.

"Naya," she said, the sound of it sweet and pure, "It's perfect."

Gwen's smile widened. "Naya it is."

* * *

King Uther could not sleep. He had been woken up in the middle of the night from the exciting news that his daughter-in-law, the Lady Aria, was about to have her child. He paced in the throne room, not sure whether he should go congratulate her or wait until the morning. These situations were rocky for Uther- all they did was remind him of the true nature of his son, Prince Arthur's birth. And what it had done to his wife…

"Sire." Gaius's voice pulled Uther out of his troublesome thoughts. He turned to face the old physician, clearing his throat. "How is she?"

"It took a while, but the child is healthy and well." The good news made Uther sigh in relief. That was good, very good. Ever since Aria's miscarriage, there had been doubts that she would ever produce an heir to throne. The king had noticed how it affected Arthur and Aria's relationship so when they heard the announcement that she was pregnant again, they approached this with caution. They had already lost a child, the last thing Uther wanted was for their marriage to fail after so much planning.

"This is wonderful," he said, smiling, hands on his hips. The stress of the past months faded a little. Uther had been suffering longer than he imagined and this was a small glimmer of light in the midst of such darkness. "Boy or girl?"

"A girl, sire," Gaius informed, holding his hands behind his back.

"Never what you want, is it?" Uther sighed, waving a hand, "No matter. They will have more, now that we know she can. When can I see her?"

"It is best we leave off visitations until the morning, let mother and daughter bond for a while," Gaius suggested, "But tomorrow morning will be just fine."

"Excellent," Uther nodded, happy to hear of it. "I will send news of the this to Arthur when he sends knights back. From his last word, I expect they have-" The king stopped, remembering why he had been so stricken with grief for a long period of time. Morgana… Morgana was not here…

Gaius noticed the shift in his mood immediately and did not have to guess what just crossed his mind. He exhaled slowly. "It has been nine months now, my lord. Arthur has not seen Aria for a very long time and he has missed the birth of his child. He must come home, he must see his daughter."

"He will come home," Uther insisted, turning back to the window. His elevated mood dropped back down to a state of gloom. "He will, Gaius, he will see his daughter. Just as soon as they find her."

"What if she is never found?" Gaius pointed out, hating to put Uther back into a state of distress. But he had to be honest, make the king see reason. If this continued, Arthur may not see his daughter for a very, _very_ long time.

"I will hear no such talk like that," Uther snapped, "Morgana is alive and she will be found.

"Sire-"

"And _you_, Gaius, would do well not to bring any negativity in this matter. Arthur will find Morgana and they will come and everything will go back to normal. That is all." The old man snapped his mouth shut as Uther turned away from him. There was no use giving it another shot. And so Gaius gave up and bid Uther goodnight. He had to go check up on Aria and make sure everything was fine with her and the baby. Uther stared out into the darkness of the sky, at the full moon and the stars. There was never any time left to enjoy the good things that happened in Camelot. Not when Morgana was missing. The king recognized that he was doing something upsetting, carrying on with these unsuccessful searches even though there were pressing matters at home for Arthur. He usually sent word of their whereabouts through one or two knights who would ride back to Camelot, bearing updates. Before Arthur had left, he made Uther promise he could take a break to come home and be there when his child was born. But Uther was relentless in his searches and Arthur knew this- that promise was broken the minute it was made.

_He will get over it_, Uther convinced himself. _Once he finds Morgana and comes home, he will forgive me and all will return to normal._

* * *

"Naya," Arthur murmured, the name rolling off his tongue. Next to him, Merlin turned his head up to look at his master, a smile on his face. It was only the two of them around the fire as the other men mingled with each other all around. "A strange name, isn't it?"

"It's lovely," Merlin commented, "And you said yourself, Aria could choose whatever name she wanted."

"I did. And it is a pretty name. Uncommon, but pretty," Arthur agreed, sighing and staring into the fire. "I just wish I could see her." A few days ago, his wife Aria had given birth to their baby girl and she had named her Naya. Occasionally, Arthur would send knights back to Camelot to bring back supplies and an update here and there. Earlier today, when the two he had sent came back and informed him of his new daughter, he sprang up from his seat in surprise. His mouth flooded with questions and he threw them out anxiously. Unfortunately Sirs Vidor and Caridoc could not answer him as they had not seen Aria or the baby.

"Me too," Merlin murmured, looking down at his hands. Arthur looked at him curiously. "Do you now?"

Merlin looked back up, as if realizing he just said the wrong thing. "Well, of course! I mean… it's the heir to throne, you know!" He made it sound like it was the most obvious guess on the planet and exactly why he wanted to see Naya as much as Arthur did. The prince wanted to question him more but he let the matter drop. He was constantly on the alert whenever his servant and his wife were around each other. They did, after all, go against Uther's wishes to find the last Dragonlord months ago… together. Could anyone say Arthur didn't have the right to be the slightest bit suspicious of this?

"Right… but I doubt my father's as pleased as I'd like him to be. A boy was preferable. But no matter," Arthur said, dismissing the thought, "We're not going to have only one child."

"Thinking a bit ahead of yourself there," Merlin commented, "What if Aria doesn't want anymore?"

"Nonsense. She knows it's her duty. And why wouldn't she want more children?"

"One's already going to be a handful. Would she want another?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, _Mer_lin. Why don't you ask her the next time you two run off together on a dangerous mission?"

Merlin hung his head. "Still upset about that, are you…"

"Hasn't left my mind," Arthur snapped. It bothered him, how Merlin could speak so casually of Aria as if he knew more about her than he did. Arthur was her husband, for goodness sake. Of course he would know more than Merlin did and it was best he not act otherwise.

After their brief yet heavily awkward silence, Merlin spoke up once more. "I bet you can't wait to go home and see her."

"You couldn't be more precise," Arthur exhaled, shaking his head, "But we both know that can't happen until we find Morgana. Even if I were to split us all up into more search parties, my father would give me two days maximum to spend with them.

"Probably better we carry on with this quest then," Merlin said, "Two days isn't enough."

"Not at all. But how much longer am I expected to wait?"

Merlin was quiet for a second. "I don't know," he confessed. Arthur expected this. He wouldn't have thought anyone would know how long it would take before they would find Morgana. Arthur would have expected his father to give up- he was losing men. But this was Morgana they were talking about. She meant the world to him and he would not give up, no matter how many lives it cost.

"Who do you think Naya looks like?" Merlin interrupted Arthur's thoughts. The prince thought for a moment. "She'll look like Aria, definitely. Dark hair, warm brown eyes… she'll be beautiful." Merlin simply smiled at this, but it was an uncertain, nervous smile. He didn't speak after that, but turned his gaze to the flames. Arthur was grateful for this. Talking about his daughter when he hadn't even seen her was painful enough.

"What other news did Sir Vidor and Sir Caridoc bring?" Merlin asked one last question. Arthur stifled a yawn. "Just something about the city jeweler dying of a heart attack in his shop."

Merlin's head shot up. "Bran?"

"I think so. The man you went to who made Aria's wedding gift, that dragon necklace she never takes off."

"He's dead…" Merlin was speechless. Arthur shook his head. He had enough trouble understanding what went through his servant's mind these days, and now he was showing a lot more grief than needed for a jewelry maker he barely knew.

"Well, we've got a big morning ahead of us," Arthur yawned, stretching. "Best we go to bed. Go tell one of the men to take the first watch. I'll take over after them." He stood up to go to bed, tired and ready for sleep. Merlin got up as well, but went in the opposite direction. The prince closed his eyes, trying to shut off his mind for just a few hours. They would resume pestering him tomorrow, when he rounded up the rest of his men to continue their quest for Morgana.

* * *

The fire had died out. But Merlin still hadn't went to bed. His mind wouldn't let him.

Arthur didn't understand his loss for words when he said Bran was dead. Bran was the old man who had made Aria's necklace, the Dragon of Light crest of her house, Ricci. But the man wasn't just a plain old jewelry maker- he was also a sorcerer and he made the charm using his magic. He told Merlin what the warlock had assumed to be some crazy story about the charm being a connection between Aria and the person she loved, that person being the "light" when she was in the dark. Loosely translated, the person would be able to feel when she needed someone. Merlin found this ridiculous. Arthur did not have magic, how could he tell she needed him by some necklace? But Bran had stressed the word love.. leading Merlin to realize that it was him, not Arthur.

Merlin had felt it before, the night Arthur and Aria married and she went out to the forest, clearly bothered. He had felt in himself that he simply had to go out to back of the castle, where it had unofficially been there meeting spot. The other times when she needed him, Merlin had been there with her. He guessed in order to fully feel the effect of the magic of her charm, they would have to be separated.

The warlock stared into the black, charred pieces of wood where the fire used to be. About three or four days ago, he was pulled out of sleep in the middle of the night because he felt that feeling again- something he hadn't in over a year now. Merlin had laid back in worry, struggling to convince himself that nothing was wrong with Aria, or if there was, it was over. It wasn't until today when Sir Vidor and Sir Caridoc brought news from Camelot that Merlin was put at ease. What he felt wasn't bad- it was just the birth of Aria's child.

_Aria's_ child. Not _Arthur and Aria's_ child. Just Aria's. For now.

Merlin got up and went to lie down in his spot next to his master. When he heard Arthur stir, he knew it meant the prince's internal instinct woke him to take the next watch. He closed his eyes and turned to the other side. Truth was, Merlin wanted so badly to believe that Naya was Arthur's daughter. He prayed she had some of Arthur's features, at least the light hair and blue eyes. Or all of Aria's features, that would've been alright too. Anything to cover up their past. _Anything._

_Naya_, Merlin repeated in his head, a tiny smile forming on his face. It was really a very lovely name and he knew she would be beautiful, like her mother. Spirited yet kind like her mother. _Normal_ like her mother.

Oh yes, normal. That was key. Because if Naya was anything extraordinary… this would be a big problem.

* * *

**A/N: This is awfully long to be a prologue… but it's the brand new start and let me tell you, I am more excited to go with this than the other sequel I wrote up! But of course, I hope that you are as pleased as I am with it. Again, if it's just not cutting it for you, I will be more than happy to continue with previous sequel. But I am confident that you will enjoy this more. Readers, I always tell you to trust me and my hope is that I come through in the end. So please, trust me again. **

**Please read and PLEASE review, tell me what you think of this major revision! Your feedback means the world to me. Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sky was a light shade of grey, giving off a gloomy and overcast appearance. It had rained earlier and it seemed to be threatening more rainfall. Not that it mattered to the men. Arthur, Merlin, and the rest of the knights rode across the field, soaked with rainwater, their attitudes even darker than the weather. Two months had gone by since Arthur received word of the birth of his daughter but they did not return home. Their quest was not over.

The wind was strong and blew fiercely as they rode on. They came across a field littered with the dead bodies of Camelot knights. Arthur didn't want to believe it but he stopped his horse and held up a hand, looking at the bodies in disbelief. Next to him, Merlin's expression matched his. _Perfect_, he thought, _more men to add to the death toll_.

"Check for survivors!" he ordered, getting off his horse. The other knights obeyed. It didn't look like they would have much luck- everyone was dead. Arthur stooped down on the ground, checking the prints. He needed to know where the attackers had gone in order to catch them. Merlin stood behind, breathing heavily. He was tired. Arthur was too. Everyone was. But giving up was not an option, no matter how much they all wanted too.

"It appears our attackers are headed north," the prince yelled out to his men. He rose up and walked back to his horse. "Come on."

Merlin turned his head to his master. "Do you think we should be going off?" His voice shook with nervousness. Or because he was cold. Whichever it was, Arthur wasted no time in tossing off another insult in Merlin's direction. "You are _such_ a girl's petticoat." He didn't wait to laugh at Merlin's expression. No, it was too serious a time to resort to old habits once more. The men climbed on their horses and rode north to their attackers.

The group rode into the forest and it wasn't long before Merlin was inwardly complaining again, uncomfortably trying to settle on his horse. Arthur rode alongside him, eyeing his servant weirdly. "Is there something wrong with you?"

"I've been on a horse all day," Merlin muttered, straightening up.

"Oh is your bottom sore?" Arthur teased.

"Yes," was the boy's blunt reply, "It's not as fat as yours."

Arthur laughed, admiring Merlin's comeback. But that didn't mean he didn't have one of his own. "You know you've got a lot of nerve… for a wimp."

"I may be a wimp but at least I'm not a… dollophead, "Merlin decided, coming up with a new insult on the spot.

"There's no such word," Arthur scoffed knowingly.

"It's_ idiomatic_."

"It's _what_?"

"You need to be more in touch with the people."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Describe 'dollop-head'."

"In two words? Prince Arthur." The prince stopped, holding up his hand. It wasn't Merlin's taunting that made him do so. The men and his servant stopped, taking note of his expression. Far ahead, Arthur spotted a camp, slightly covered by the branches of trees. But it was visible enough, thanks to the smoke. A bandit camp. Which meant they had been their attackers.

Arthur promptly jumped off his horse and took out his sword, eyes never leaving the camp. His knights imitated him and they all gathered together, creeping closer to the camp. They found it deserted but the prince kept a firm grip on his sword. He was not unfamiliar with surprise attacks. They were shrouded by the fog but they could still be seen. The prince used his fingers to signal to his men without turning his head. Merlin stayed behind him, being the scared girl he was. If Arthur had any idea what idiomatic was, he could come up with a word to describe Merlin that was much more clever than dollophead.

Some of his men went in different directions, but a few stuck by and walked ahead with him. It was silent… suspiciously so. Suddenly, an arrow shot out of nowhere and struck the knight on Arthur's left side. It was proceeded by shouts and yells as bandits ran toward them furiously with weapons in hands. Of course they wouldn't have stayed low for long. Arthur looked around frantically as they charged from every corner. He cried out and he and his men struck out with their swords. The prince was circled by the bandits but he was the strongest and most skilled, he could take them easily. As for the others, he did not doubt their abilities at all. It was his servant he was worried about.

Meanwhile, Merlin grabbed the nearest sword he could find but a bandit hit it out of his hand with little effort. The warlock backed into a tree as just as the sword was about to come down, he muttered a spell. His eyes flashed gold and every metal object in the camp attracted to the sword and the bandit fell back in surprise. Satisfied with himself, Merlin ran around the camp, trying to reach Arthur. Another bandit with an axe in his hand swung at him. With another spell, Merlin sent a tree falling on top of the man.

The servant dropped to his stomach, watching Arthur fight. It was then he spotted a bandit sneak up on Arthur, ready to bring him down with his sword. His eyes went gold one more time as he raised a spear and threw it at the bandit, stabbing him. Arthur whipped around and stared at the now dead man. The prince looked around but of course Merlin couldn't admit it was his doing. Once he saw the warlock lying on his stomach, he rolled his eyes. "Quit playing hide and seek, Merlin!"

"Dollophead," the servant muttered, lifting himself up from the mass of leaves and broken twigs. He dusted himself off and joined the rest of the knights in the center of the camp. They had fought of the bandits victoriously and were just regrouping. Arthur was catching his breath and looked ready to give the next order. But the snap of branches shut him up and everyone turned their heads to see where it came from.

Covered by the fog, Merlin could make out the outline of a dark figure, making its way towards them. Arthur held his sword in front of him, his other hand ready to signal a command. He crept forward but Merlin remained in his spot, knowing full well he could protect Arthur only when he couldn't see. The figure stumbled forward and the more features he could make out, the faster his heart beat. There was no way… could it be…?

The figure emerged from the mist, clumsily scanning her whereabouts. She had long, dark hair, a tattered dress, and a bruised and bloodied face. Everyone lowered their weapons and stared in shock. She stared back with wide green eyes.

"Morgana," Arthur whispered.

* * *

"You're an eager one, aren't you?" chuckled Aria, holding a two month old Naya in her arms. The baby's hair had gotten darker and her eyes a bit lighter. She hooked her tiny fingers around on of Aria's and cooed happily, having just been fed. She was the apple of Aria's eye and no insistence from anyone to have maids take care of her baby changed her mind. She nursed, cleaned, changed, and looked after her own baby with only the assistance of Gwen.

Aria was only nineteen- she was still a young girl with no prior experience with children or a mother to teach her anything. Her father had been uncomfortable enough, telling her about what happened in a marriage between husband and wife. But he wouldn't know how to look after a baby. Aria realized this would be _a lot_ of work- and she was loving every part of it. It came as an amazement to the members of the court and the king how dedicated she had become to Naya. Her days were consumed with cycles of feeding, rocking, walking, and bouncing. But the princess's never-ending enthusiasm made it all worth it. Her eyes shone with worship as she looked at her daughter and despite how tired she was from all the work, Naya never failed to leave the biggest of smiles on her face. The only person missing was her father and he was yet to return.

The princess had been up all night, walking Naya to sleep and she was fighting to stay awake. It was now late afternoon and she was trying to put the baby down for a nap. She paced the room, back and forth, humming softly to her. Naya was a stubborn baby; it was almost like she refused to sleep until a certain demand was met. She heard a knock at the chamber doors and turned her head to see Gwen walk in, greeting the two with a smile. She had a basket of laundered clothes in her arms. "Is she asleep?"

"Still trying," sighed Aria. It was difficult, even more so without a full night's sleep. Gwen frequently offered to do it but Aria wasn't about to put the responsibility on her. It was her child after all. And if there were going to be more, she better get used to it.

Gwen put the basket down on her bed and began to put the clothes away. Aria and Arthur's normally tidy chambers were a mess now that Merlin was gone and Gwen was busy in helping with Naya. "You really should try to get some rest, Aria. It's not good to walk around exhausted all the time."

"Not until this little girl goes to sleep," Aria said, giving Naya a look. The baby merely cooed in response. "Goodness, Naya, you've barely slept a wink last night. How can you have more energy than me? Better yet, how are you more sane than I am?"

Gwen chuckled as she put the last of the clothes away. "Amazing what sleep can do for you." She surveyed the chambers and shook her head. "I don't think Arthur's going to be too happy when he sees what we've done with your room."

"Imagine Merlin's reaction… Arthur's not going to let him go on that." Both women laughed and Naya shrieked in happiness upon hearing them. Aria let out a sigh again. "I know, I know, you can't stand it when my attention is away from you for too long." Not that she minded. Naya had become her world and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"I don't know if I should clean now or when Naya's asleep," Gwen debated with herself. "On one hand, cleaning would distract her. On the other, it might wake her up."

Aria looked out her window. "I don't want to risk taking her outside. It was a bit chilly today. She might catch something."

"I suppose I'll just have to get started now." Gwen started making the bed and Aria continued humming to Naya, a melody she only slightly recalled. If she wasn't mistaken, her mother used to hum this to her when she was younger. But that was years ago, Aria could've picked it up from anywhere. By the time Naya's eyelids started drooping, the sun was starting to set. This would only mean she'd have trouble sleeping tonight. Aria almost prayed the men would return when Naya's sleeping schedule became stable. She wouldn't want her husband to see her disheveled and tired.

Gwen had cleaned up as much as she could and the chambers looked presentable, at the most. "I'll get around to the rest later. For now, is there anything else I can do for you, my lady?"

Naya let out a yawn and Aria slowly lowered her into her crib. She fussed a bit before settling into her crib and closing her eyes. Aria smiled at her before diverting her attention to the window. Evening was approaching and she didn't want to keep Gwen working any longer. "No, Gwen, I'll manage."

"You have a lot to do," the maid pointed out, "I will be more than glad to help."

"There's really nothing left but I'll let you kn-" Aria froze and ran to the window, peering outside. Had her eyes deceived her? She spotted not one not, two, but all the knights ride back into the citadel. Her eyes did not have to do much scanning before she saw Arthur and Merlin and a worn-looking woman sitting in front of Arthur… _Morgana_.

"Aria? What is it?" Gwen sounded worried, walking up to her.

"They're back," she whispered.

"Who's back? My lady, is everything alright?"

"Arthur's back!" Aria wasn't dreaming, they had returned. But from what she could see, Morgana was not in a very pleasant state. "They found Morgana!" Not pausing to register Gwen's expression, Aria turned to run past her. "Gwen, stay with Naya." The maid called after but she ran out of the chambers quickly.

These days, Aria did not care much for her appearance. She really did not prefer Arthur seeing his wife looking like this but she barely had a moment to herself. And he just _had_ to arrive when she wasn't looking her best. But it didn't matter. They were back, they found Morgana… she was home. Aria ran to the entrance of the castle but Morgana was nowhere to be seen. Had they taken her away already?

"Aria?"

That voice was well-known to the princess. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around and came face-to-face with not Arthur, but his manservant, Merlin. "Merlin!"

Without thinking, she threw herself into her arms and hugged him tightly. Most of the year had been spent searching for Morgana and Merlin had been a rare sighting. "I can't tell you how good it is that you're back."

The warlock was shocked at her spontaneous reaction but nevertheless, hugged her back. "It's… great to see you too."

It took a few seconds for Aria and Merlin to realize what they were doing. Aria released him and backed away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. That was… uncalled for." When she met his blue eyes, her cheeks flushed.

Merlin tried to shrug it off. "It's okay, it's… yeah."

"Where's Arthur?" Aria changed the subject, looking around so as to distract herself.

"He took Morgana to her chambers. We found her in the North, captured by bandits," Merlin explained.

"How is she? Is she alright?" Aria asked worriedly.

"From what I saw, she was pretty roughed up."

Aria exhaled slowly. "Thank goodness you found her…" Merlin didn't answer. He was too busy surveying her up and down. He took in the tangled waves, the stained dress, the waxy complexion. His expression was unreadable but the princess could feel that he was anxious. She let out an impatient sigh. "Yes, I know I look like crap. You don't have to stare."

"What- no! No, that's not what I…" Merlin's face turned red. He took a deep breath, trying to correct his words. "I mean, you look great, you really do, just I'm not used to…"

"I know, Merlin," Aria cut off, shaking her head. He was so silly sometimes. "You don't have to explain."

The color on Merlin's cheeks did not vanish and he remained sheepish. Well, this was sufficiently awkward.

"I'm going to go to Arthur now," Aria interrupted the silence and turned to walk in the direction of Morgana's chambers. Something seemed to light up in Merlin as he called out to her. "Aria, wait, I need to talk to you-"

The princess looked over her shoulder when she responded. "Not now, Merlin."

"It's about Naya." Aria stopped dead in her tracks. What did he have to say about Naya?

* * *

**A/N: I certainly missed updating this series! I've written on a lot of OCs in the past (not just the ones here on FF) and Aria is one of my favorites so I wasn't going to neglect this for long! It's a little short but it's only the beginning. I'm planning on twice the amount of drama this time around. Plus, I've improved immensely on character development so my writing will be better too! Please read and review, greatly appreciated!**

**Cheers, my readers! The next chapter will be up soon.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"What about Naya?" Aria turned around to face Merlin. She was in a bit of a hurry to see Arthur and Morgana but at the same time, Merlin just brought up her daughter. This had to be important.

"I need to know something," Merlin started, "I've been thinking about it and the more I do, the more of a possibility it becomes." He walked closer to her until he was inches away from her. Aria nervously tossed her waves over another shoulder and ran her fingers through them, not looking Merlin in the eyes. The distance made her uncomfortable and heavens forbid someone saw them.

"What do you need to know?" she asked, looking down at the ends of her hair.

Merlin leaned his head in and said in a low whisper, "Has Naya done anything… I don't know… extraordinary?"

Aria's eyes drifted up to meet his in confusion. "I don't believe so…what exactly constitutes as 'extradordinary'?"

"You know… like….magic," Merlin elaborated under his breath.

"_Magic_?" Aria kept herself from chuckling out loud. Clearly spend a year out looking for Morgana had gotten to the warlock's head. "That's absurd, Merlin. How would Naya have any magic?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten," Merlin sighed quietly but the princess could sense the edge in his voice, "It's been a year, but that's not enough for you to forget." He wasn't kidding; he really did have some underlying belief that Naya had magic. But that was impossible; the only way she could was if Aria herself possessed those powers and passed them down to her or if the father- _oh dear God._

Merlin noticed the expression that had now replaced the former one on Aria's face. It finally clicked which was a surprise to him. He spent most of his quest with Arthur with the aching suspicion that the child wasn't the prince's. And he had been positive that Aria would come to this conclusion before he did. Either she had repressed this thought or completely forgotten about it when Naya was born. But she wouldn't have been able to push it to the recesses of her mind for so long- the past always had a way of rising to the surface, no matter how much either of them tried to cover it up.

"You swore you wouldn't bring that up," Aria said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes up at him. Now she knew why he was so close- dare anyone overheard them, it would be the end and she hadn't even seen Morgana yet.

"I can't keep my mouth shut about it when there's a high chance Naya's father isn't who everyone thinks he is," Merlin snapped. Again, Aria didn't think her next actions through and her hand shot out and clamped over his mouth, hushing him completely.

"Keep it down," she hissed. "Do you want everyone to hear your sudden declaration?"

Merlin sighed again she felt it against her palm. Aria took her hand away, wishing they weren't having this conversation to worry about. She had spent most of her time on Naya and truthfully, what Merlin told her was very plausible and it wasn't that she hadn't thought of it. It's just that she didn't want to. It was one of those situations where one tended to push something aside and hope it would pass and everything would turn out alright in the end. But there was no more room left to push it anywhere else.

Aria inhaled and then exhaled slowly before she spoke up. "To answer your question, she hasn't done anything strange."

"Yet," he added but one look from her and he closed his mouth again. She continued, "Not that it matters. As far as anyone is concerned, Naya is Arthur's and don't even consider telling anyone otherwise."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I value my life more than you think I do." Merlin crossed his arms.

"I was beginning to think you couldn't care less," Aria responded sarcastically. They looked at each other, unsmiling for a moment. If the tension between Aria and Merlin was visible, it could be seen from another man's kingdom. Times like these, it could so much as be heard.

"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence.

"I don't know," Aria admitted. "There's nothing much I can do. If Arthur suspects something, then I'm going to have to get even better than lying."

"What if it's something you can't explain? Aria…" Merlin grabbed her arm and leaned in once more, "What if she does something right in front of Arthur?"

Aria stared up at him but no words left her mouth. What could she say to assure either of them that everything was going to be fine? If his timing wasn't terrible, she didn't know what it was. Merlin was looking at her intently. He didn't have to be a mind read to know what was going on in her head.

"I can't talk about this right now," she replied quietly, tugging her arm away from his grip. "Just… never bring it up again. Ever." _Because I've dreamt about it one too many times over the past few months. Don't remind me of it._

"You can't escape it forever. It happened," Merlin pointed out.

"Merlin," Aria warned, eyeing him carefully.

"I won't bring it up. Not until you decide to, anyway."

"Thank you," she breathed, grateful of this. "I should go. I still have to see Morgana and Arthur's probably wondering where I am."

"Wouldn't want that now would we?" Merlin reached forward and Aria had the urge to step back, he was already close enough. But she stayed put, waiting to see what he would do. His hand went for the sleeve of her dress and pulled it back onto her shoulder as it had been slipping off again. Her cheeks flushed red at this gesture, one part touched, two parts embarrassed. "This isn't really how I wanted you or anyone else to see me."

Merlin's face broke out into his heart-stopping smile. "You're as lovely as ever, Aria. A few months with a baby hasn't changed anything."

Aria's face was burning so much it might as well have lit on fire. "I… thank you." The tension between them was turning into something different. If he stared at her any longer, Aria was pretty sure she would cross the line they had drawn a year ago. Before anything could be done, Aria tore their gaze away from him. "I really have to go now."

"I bet he'll be just delighted to see Naya," Merlin coughed. His voice dripped with flat jealousy but Aria waved it away. She shook her head at him and hurried off, making her way to Morgana's chambers. Fortunately for the princess, she did not have to do much exploring. Arthur was waiting outside Morgana's chambers, looking worried and anxious. He looked tired and dirty and still in his chainmail. How pleasant. He was just as much of a mess as she was!

"Arthur!" Aria caught the prince by surprise as she ran to him and threw herself into his arms. Arthur was taken aback for a moment before his arms found their way around her, hugging her back.

"Gods, where were you? I thought you'd come running the minute you saw us," Arthur murmured when they separated.

"I did, but…" Aria tried to change the subject. "How's Morgana? Can I see her?"

"Gaius is checking up on her right now. From the looks of it, no serious damage has been done to her," Arthur explained. "We can visit her first thing in the morning when she's regained some strength."

"We can all finally relax," Aria breathed out a sigh.

"You said it best." Arthur did what Merlin did and looked at Aria from head to toe. His face lit up. "Where is she? Naya, I want to see her."

A small smile broke out on Aria's face. "She's in our chambers. Gwen's watching her."

"Lead the way. I want to see my daughter."

* * *

It was late when Arthur and Merlin brought Morgana back. The night sky appeared and darkness had descended upon Camelot. After their excruciatingly long journey, it was a major relief to know he could sleep in his own bed tonight. After greeting Gwen for the long period of time they spent without seeing each other, Merlin went back to Gaius's chambers and waited for the old man to come back. He was examining Morgana and with hope, no harm was done to her. And so the warlock sat by himself in the physician's room, surrounded by his many books and instruments, tuned out from the real world and into the depths of his own complex mind.

Merlin had a lot of things on his mind, starting from the obvious: Naya. He hadn't even seen the baby and he wasn't sure he wanted to- not that he didn't want to. Just that he himself didn't want his suspicions to be confirmed. But sooner or later, the warlock had to. Merlin just had to suck it up and convince himself that everything was going to be fine. In fact, maybe he would be wrong, maybe Naya was Arthur's and he was only being paranoid.

The door to the chambers opened and Gaius walked in just as he was dwelling on that issue. Merlin rose to his feet, looking at his guardian expectantly. "Did you talk to her? Did she say anything about me?"

Gaius set his supplies down on the table. "Not yet."

"Well, she's going to," Merlin automatically presumed.

The old man turned to his ward, calm and collected. "Does she know your secret, Merlin? Does she know you have magic?"

"No! She doesn't! No one does." _Well, almost no one. Aria knows. But no need to remind him of that._

"Good, because if Uther finds out…" The physician didn't have to finish his sentence. It was well established what would happen if the king found out.

"Morgana was there when I poisoned Aria and then myself, she _saw_," Merlin reminded him, "She knows that much."

"You had no choice, Merlin," Gaius insisted, "Camelot was dying. Aria was the source of the enchantment and if you hadn't poisoned her, the kingdom would've fallen."

"That's not the main point, Gaius," Merlin snapped, "Morgana's not stupid, she could easily deduce from what she saw that there was so much more between Aria and I than just a princess and a servant. Bottom line, I tried to kill her and that will tell the king enough."

"You can't be sure," Gaius reassured. He moved to unpack his supplies from his sack and get back to his work.

"I _am_ sure," the servant pressed.

"Merlin, your relationship with Aria has been close to nonexistent over the past year."

"I was gone practically the whole time."

"Be that as it may. You're not going to continue it, though, are you? What with Aria being a mother now and Arthur having to take on his responsibilities as a father, I'm sure you are aware of your limits." Merlin flinched but he nodded all the same. Oh, if only Gaius knew the whole story. He still hadn't told him what else happened last year when him and Aria left Camelot to find his father.

He was silent for a few seconds before another question popped into his head. "What do you think Arthur will do to me?" he asked quietly. An answer followed up afterwards and he shuddered to even consider that. Arthur may have been his friend but Merlin was still his servant at the end of the day and Aria was his wife and future queen- he would forever be a few steps below her.

"Let's just wait and see what tomorrow brings." This didn't comfort Merlin. It only made him feel nauseous to think what the morning's events would be. It took him forever to go to sleep that night but even then, it was fitful. The next morning, he ignored the sun streaming into his window and kept his eyes closed.

"Merlin." He opened them to see Gaius at his bedside, an unreadable expression etched on his face. "Arthur has requested your presence… in Morgana's chambers. Aria is with him."

Merlin was suddenly awake.

* * *

**A/N: This was shorter than I wanted… I blame it on exams, they can really tire a girl out. But I didn't want to keep you all waiting! It's a bit filler-ish but I like to keep things organized and not a lot of drama crammed into one chapter. I've been thinking of making a major change and normally I keep my ideas a surprise yet I have to ask… evil Morgana or nice Morgana? Which sounds better?**

**Please review! They make me smile and keep me writing. And thanks for reading! Cheers.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Merlin walked to Morgana's chambers, an unpleasantly nauseous sensation churning up in his stomach. Arthur requesting his presence in her room meant only one thing; she wanted to talk to him. He prayed that the prince and princess would not be in the room if Morgana brought up what happened a year ago. It would ruin everything. The warlock crept into her chambers just as Morgana was recounting her year to Arthur and Aria.

"I was kept in a cell for a year," she spoke, quiet and solemn, looking off, "I thought I'd go mad." She swallowed back the lump that was forming in her throat. "It may have been the patrol from Camelot."

"The patrol we found?" Arthur interrupted.

Morgana nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "I thought I was going to be free." Merlin saw Aria take her friend's hand reassuringly. "But then I saw them killed. Every one of them cut down. That night, the bandits were distracted. I took my chance. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it."

She sniffled as Arthur wrapped his arm around her. Aria noticed him first, a look of anxiousness crossing her eyes. It wasn't long before Morgana and Arthur saw him too. All eyes on him made him feel self-conscious and he stood still as a stone.

"I think I need to rest," Morgana broke the silence, retracting from Arthur. She loosened her grip on Aria's hand.

"Everything's going to be alright," the princess murmured. "You're safe now."

"I can't wait to see her," Morgana whispered, "The baby. Naya, is it?"

"Yes, Naya," Arthur answered for his wife, getting up. "You can see her after you rest." The couple turned to leave Morgana in peace. Aria didn't speak a word as she walked past Merlin- but the worry-struck glance she sent his way told him enough.

The servant turned to follow Arthur and Aria out of the room when Morgana called out his name. _Damn it_, he thought. He had hoped to walk out of this room and carry on with his normal duties without getting stopped. It didn't work; she remembered. That much was obvious.

"I want to speak to you," Morgana said, looking at him intently. Merlin looked at her doorway then back at her, not offering up a single response, not even a "it's good to have you back".

"Come closer," she said quietly, "I don't want anyone to hear." Merlin's brow crinkled in puzzlement in such a way that would've made Gaius proud. He cautiously made a few steps towards her bedside behind the curtains.

"I know what you did," Morgana started. "You tried to poison Aria."

"I… I didn't want to," Merlin choked out. It sounded pathetic as he said. Of course he didn't want to, Morgana should have known that.

"But then you tried to poison yourself," she brought up, "After her…"

"Yeah… yeah I did…" The memory of it was so painful to think about, Merlin found himself trying harder than usual to repress it.

"You love her," Morgana stated, "I know you do. It was all so clear that day. When you knowingly gave her the water with the hemlock and then drank it yourself. I tried to stop you, I… but I don't know what happened. It was like I was shoved back by something, I can't tell what. And when I woke up, you were both out."

The woman shook her head, remembering that time as well. "It's okay, Merlin. I understand why you did it. Aria was the source of the illness but you weren't going to let her die alone. That was very sweet of you. You really care about her."

Merlin bit his lip, unsure of where this was going. On one hand, he could agree with all this and be fully honest. On the other, he could deny it all, pretend it never happened. Instead he chose the third option; question her as well. "The poison took us in minutes. But we woke up later on in the forest together. We were supposed to be dead, Morgana. And when we came back to the castle, we learned you were gone. What happened to you? Do you know who saved us?"

Morgana's eyes were brimming with tears again but the warlock was determined for answers. He didn't want to come any closer as to not invade her personal space. The expression on his face should have told her enough.

"I was so naïve, Merlin," Morgana cried, "I don't think I really understood what I was doing."

"Morgana, what are you talking about?" Merlin cut in, staring at her.

"I... that day, when everyone in Camelot fell sick and the Knights attacked… I knew what had happened… it was all my fault, but I promise you, I don't know why Aria was affected, I really don't…"

"Morgause was the cause of it," Merlin interrupted, "You both where safe from the illness, yet only Aria was the source. Why?"

"I don't know," the ward confessed tearfully, "I don't, I swear. If I did, I would have-"

"Morgana." Merlin stopped her and she collected herself. "Tell me. Did Morgause save us?"

It was the woman's turn to bite her lip and she was hesitant. "I asked her to reverse the effects of the hemlock. I didn't want anyone to die, especially not my own friends. The only way Morgause agreed was if I left Camelot with her. And so that's why I left."

Merlin's heart skipped a beat. All this time… Morgana had left Camelot to save his and Aria's lives. So then… "Why did you say you were captured by bandits when you've been with Morgause?"

Morgana's head snapped up and she sounded almost angry. "I have not! I tried to escape her and instead, fell in the hands of bandits! Knowing what they would do to me, I much rather preferred to be with her. I was locked up, going insane this whole time. How dare you accuse me of lying!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Merlin said hastily, hushing her, "I didn't mean to, I didn't know, I'm sorry…"

Morgana's burst of energy was gone and in its place was her former state. "I apologize, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's alright," the warlock muttered. He still couldn't believe it… how grateful he was for Morgana then. Twice as much that she was found.

"I can't forgive myself for letting it get to that," Morgana sighed, "For putting everyone in so much danger. But believe me… I have seen the evils in this world. I have seen firsthand what it is that Uther fights against." Her voice broke. "You don't know how much I regret everything that I've done."

Merlin exhaled slowly. Seeing Morgana this way wasn't a good feeling at all and she just admitted she had been the reason Merlin and Aria were alive. If he didn't owe it to her for being so brave and putting up with everything she had this past year, then what else could he do?

"I am so sorry for everything you've been through," he said, meaning every word of it, "It's so good to have you back."

Morgana finally smiled, a breathy chuckle leaving her lips. She nodded once. "It's good to be back, Merlin. I've missed everyone terribly, it was like an ache in my heart."

Merlin smiled back, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "We missed you so much too. I have to ask though… are you going to tell Aria about…?"

The smile faded. "I can't. Not yet, anyway. Everything is finally right now. Her and Arthur have new responsibilities with a child now and I don't want to upset her with it. I know Aria, I know how she'll take it." He wasn't going to argue with Morgana there. Aria would feel guilty, it would surely stand in the way of her day-to-day life. As if she hadn't already had enough of that…

"Right," Merlin nodded, "I'll keep quiet about it. But thank you, Morgana. For everything. Without you… Aria and I would be dead."

"Of course," Morgana replied modestly, "Oh, and Merlin? I won't tell Arthur. About Morgause, or… about you and Aria."

Merlin froze. He had forgotten for a moment that Morgana figured that out as well. "I would appreciate that, thank you."

"Quite a surprise it was," Morgana said, "I suppose it shouldn't have been. Now that I think about it, I did start noticing the way you looked at her and how she looked at you. Maybe I had my guesses, but the thought was outrageous to think, let alone ask of."

_Outrageous, indeed. But Morgana knows not even half of it_. "It's over between us," Merlin sighed, "Aria is married and a mother. I'm ashamed to admit it took me this long to realize that it was stupid from the start."

"It had to have been special."

"It was stupid," Merlin pressed, attempting to convince himself more than her.

"I won't talk about it. I won't even mention it at all, not even to her. Your secret is safe with me," Morgana promised, smiling her signature sweet smile at him. Merlin returned it, more grateful for her existence than ever before. After that, he let her rest and left her chambers, making his way to Arthur's. He almost didn't mind doing his chores either! At last, everything was right and fine in the world.

* * *

Before being called to Morgana's chambers, Aria was woken up before the sun by Naya's throaty howls in her crib three times last night. Each time, Arthur stayed up with them until the baby finally went back to sleep. Aria wasn't sure he was particularly enjoying it. And it was only the first night he was back.

About two hours after Aria put Naya down and resumed sleep, she was woken up once more. This time, it was Arthur, informing her Morgana was up and wanted to see them. Aria felt like she looked worse than yesterday- she was tired, dirty, in desperate need of a day to herself. But she wasn't one to whine about herself and besides, she was more eager to see Morgana. After Naya's feeding, the princess asked Gwen to watch her. It felt so oddly refreshing, not having the baby in her arms twenty-four seven.

The reunion had been emotional, with Morgana reaching for Aria instantly, clutching on as if for dear life. She whispered over and over again how much she had missed Aria and the princess did the same. The smile on Morgana's face was an image Aria had not wanted to forget- the ward had been a sister to her and she had missed her so much. It was unbelievably good to have her back. But the cheery atmosphere faded once the smile left Morgana's face and she turned serious. She looked as if the memories of the past year had flooded over her in that instant. Arthur took this chance to ask her how she had survived the past year and Morgana shakily recounted what had happened to her.

Then Merlin had been in the room afterwards. Why Morgana called him in, Gods only knew. Aria debated on whether or not she should ask him about it later. For today, she put it out of her mind and decided to take Naya outside the castle for the day. The weather was nice enough and her baby was so restless, she needed the fresh air. Arthur had his usual training and sent Merlin for chores so Gwen accompanied her instead. Morgana had wanted to rest and no work for her to do anyway.

"Tell me, what was Arthur's reaction to when he saw Naya?" Gwen asked eagerly, holding the baby. Aria's arms were cramping up and took a break from holding her daughter. If she were being truthful, she didn't know what to make of Arthur's reactions to Naya. When he demanded he take her to see his daughter, she expected him to burst into tears of joy, ask to hold her, praise her beauty, all of that…

Instead, he asked right away, "Why is her hair so dark?" when he laid eyes on Naya napping in her crib. He took in her features- the raven black hair, the cheeks with a pinch of color on them, the light-toned skin with confusion. Aria raised in eyebrow at this. Uther had asked the same question, adding that it was much darker than hers to be considered a feature "of the mother's."

"_She has blue eyes," the princess mentioned even though Naya's eyes were closed, "Just like you. And the dark hair, it must be from me."_

"_Your hair is not this black. It's not even black," Arthur observed, rubbing a piece of Aria's brown hair between his thumb and index finger. _

"_Gaius said it happens," Aria shrugged casually but inside she was shaking. She hadn't thought much of it but after her conversation with Merlin, it came tumbling back into her mind. _

"_I'm sure," Arthur said in a low voice. "But no matter. It must have come from you." _

"Oh, he was joyful," Aria responded, walking beside Gwen and her daughter in the outskirts of the castle. Naya was loving the sights, letting out her usual shrieks of happiness and switching off between being held by the princess and the maid.

"Did he comment on her hair and eyes? They are an interesting color, you know," Gwen commented, smiling at Naya, "Girls tend to take after the mother, I hear, although the eyes definitely come from Arthur."

"Indeed," Aria said absentmindedly. Being outside gave her room to breathe and no offense to Gwen, but constant questions were starting to suffocate her. They spent some more time walking but Naya was starting to fuss, meaning it was time to go back inside. Gwen offered to stay with her but Aria assured her she could manage. Morgana was her true lady and the princess didn't want to put any more work on the maid.

"Alright, alright," Aria sighed as Naya started again. "I'll get you to bed soon, calm yourself."

Just as she walked into the chambers, she paused. Merlin was down on his hands and knees, wiping the floor with a cloth. He was dripping wet. Naya had stopped fussing and was staring at Merlin curiously.

"Merlin?" Aria said. The boy jumped and fumbled to his feet, whipping around and staring at her in surprise. "Aria! Er… how was the walk?"

"Fine," Aria answered, "Why on Earth are you wet?"

"Oh, it was just your husband teaching me how to use the bucket," Merlin replied, shrugging casually. "I'm just cleaning up after him even though I told him I just wiped the floors."

"For heaven's sake, you two," Aria sighed, shaking her head. "Will there ever be a day where you and him aren't bantering like children?"

Merlin wasn't listening. His eyes had found Naya in her arms and he was looking at her with the same curious expression as the baby's. Naya had stopped getting restless and her eyes were glued to the servant. Aria looked at them weirdly. "Er… Merlin, meet Naya. Naya, meet Merlin."

The warlock snapped out of it. "Arthur wasn't exaggerating, she is lovely."

A smile crept up on Aria's face. "Isn't she? But the looks are deceiving. She is the feistiest child I have ever met."

"Takes after her mother, I'll bet," Merlin teased. Naya opened her mouth into a smile too as he did. That was strange. Were they sharing some telepathic secret with each other that Aria didn't get the memo of? For someone who wasn't often around young ones, Merlin sure seemed to have an effect on them. "Do you mind if I hold her?"

"Sure," Aria nodded, carefully handing Naya to him, "Although, if she starts crying, don't worry. I don't know how she feels about strangers holding her-" But Naya seemed to settle in his arms comfortably. Merlin looked down at her, the smile never leaving his face.

"Or… not." Curiously, Aria walked away from the two of them, waiting to hear Naya cry out for her mother. Nothing, not even a sound. Well, that was certainly something…

"What did Morgana want from you?" Aria asked, looking around for something to do since clearly, her child was getting attached with Merlin. The boy didn't respond, just played around with Naya. When Aria turned to look, Naya had her tiny fingers wrapped around his pointing one, gripping it tightly. She felt even more confused than before. The princess was the only other person she did that too. Aria just thought it was because they spent so much time together. Naya knew Gwen even better than Merlin yet seemed to adjust a lot more to him than with the maid. Then she found herself drawing comparisons between the two- the hair, the eyes, the matching smiles… okay, _now_ she was going insane.

"Merlin?" He finally lifted his head up. "Sorry, she won't let go."

"That's alright, just answer my question."

"What question?"

"_Merlin_!" Aria sighed impatiently.

"I'm sorry!" Merlin replied, fighting a smile, "Naya was distracting me."

"Right, well she was distracting me all night with her crying and neither of us got any sleep." Aria walked back to them and held her hands out. Merlin reluctantly handed Naya back to her and gently removed her fingers from his. It was then Naya burst into her stressed out cries. Aria stared at her in shock. "Naya, it's okay, it's me."

She didn't calm down. If anything, she was getting even louder. "I don't understand… what is wrong with you, today?"

"Here, let me take her," Merlin offered out his hands. Before Aria could do anything, she felt Naya getting removed from her arms and back into Merlin's. And the baby quieted, reaching for Merlin's hand again. Aria just gaped at the two of them, having no idea what was going on. Since when did her own child prefer someone she just met over her?

"Aria, are you alright?" Merlin asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she said dazedly, "Why is she suddenly so attached to you? This is the first time she's seeing you."

Merlin looked at the infant who merely smiled back, her eyes wide and innocent. "Beats me… maybe she just likes me." He held her for a little more and then slowly, Naya drifted off to sleep. Walking past Aria, he put the baby in her crib and turned to walk back to the princess. "Or maybe you just can't admit that what I told you yesterday is a possibility."

"Will you stop?" Aria snapped, "What if someone passes by and hears you?" Someone could have. The doors were still open.

Merlin's voice dropped to a whisper. "You think Naya would be so content with a total stranger? No, there's obviously another explanation. I could be her damn father, Aria. Why can't you accept that?"

"Because we are going to pretend that we're both certain Naya is Arthur's, not yours, because that is what everyone else thinks. Do I have to break it down this much for you?"

"What's going to happen once Naya starts expressing her magic?"

"She does not have magic," Aria hissed, feeling the urge to hit him. He looked so satisfied that he rankled her but she held back- it wasn't worth causing any more trouble.

"Oh really? Then why do I feel close to her? Why is that she feels the same to me? Why won't she go back to her own mother?"

Aria's shoulders sank. "I don't know," she grudgingly confessed. "You make this seem as if she'll never come back to me."

"I'm not saying that," Merlin explained, "I'm saying that… when I saw her, I felt a connection with her. Like she was a part of me. I can't describe it in such a specific way, but-"

Aria interrupted, "You don't have to have magic to feel a bond with your daughter."

"Then you do know how it feels. Because you're the mother."

"And you think you're the father?"

"I thought it at first… but now I know. It's only the truthful conclusion I can reach." Merlin reached out and grabbed Aria by her shoulders. She didn't wince at all, practically seeing it coming. "Aria, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me, but only if you can provide me with any evidence otherwise."

Aria threw her head back in frustration. "What do you want me to say? Yes, Merlin, you are Naya's father, all the medals in the world go to you. Happy now?"

"No, because you're not even serious," Merlin snapped. "Do you actually believe it or want to get under my skin?"

"What will it change if I believed it or not?" Aria shot back, wrenching herself out of his grip. "So I acknowledge the fact that you're Naya's father. Then what? We're both going to run off to Arthur and bear the good news? Arthur will happily step down from his position as the father and let you take his place? And _no one_ will have a problem with it. Is that what you're thinking would happen next?"

It was clear on Merlin's face that it had slipped his mind what would happen next. Nothing new, that was for sure. They were both trying to forget, not bring back a history that would get them both into tons of trouble if discovered.

"Exactly as I thought," Aria exhaled. "You didn't really process that part, did you?"

"No," he mumbled, "I didn't."

"Just let it go, Merlin. Forget it. Nothing good's going to come out of the truth." It was painful to look at Merlin now. The crestfallen expression made Aria feel guilty and she hadn't intended on sounding harsh. Yet how else could she get her point across.

"Right… sorry." Merlin backed up. "I'll… leave you alone for a bit. Go see if Gaius needs me for anything."

"Okay," Aria nodded, detecting the slight quiver in his voice. Without another word, Merlin left the chambers and her feeling much more guilty than before. Taking a deep breath, Aria turned around and went about her business, but no matter what she did, his words just refused to leave her mind.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Merlin… although I do wish someone closed the door to the chambers. Just in case, I don't know, someone passed by and heard something unusual… Not sure how if I want evil Morgana or nice Morgana yet, but my decision will be made by the next chapter update. Have any of you switched teams yet?**

**An interesting piece of news from my life for you all, I came across a person's Tumblr the other day and they said something about how OCs are ridiculous in fanfiction. Agree to disagree, but... OCs are the way to go. Jussayin'.**

**Reviews make my heart flutter. Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Should she have said anything? Was it right to meddle in matters that did not concern her? _

Guinevere's attention was divided up. Unequally, but not fully on her task. It had actually been this way all day but it seemed to be stronger now. It had to be because she was alone- well, not entirely. She was watching over Naya for Aria and Arthur while they joined the king and Morgana for, what the king liked to call, a "family dinner." The official feast to celebrate Morgana's safe return to Camelot would be tomorrow evening. For tonight, it was just them and the royal couple.

"Stop that now," Gwen said gently as Naya's tiny fingers tried to reach for a piece of her hair. "So curious you are, just reaching for everything." Naya smiled cutely at her, and Gwen sensed a touch of familiarity- she'd seen so pleasant a smile before and the child's felt like a copy of someone else's. Not Aria's, hers was a lot more subtle. As a matter fact, not much like Arthur's either. _Gwen, you're being ridiculous._

Everything should have been okay, even more so. But nothing stayed that way in Camelot and if it did, Gwen would believe miracles could happen. Nothing happened today- she drew baths for both her ladies and helped them fully prepare themselves for the day. Morgana had gone to greet Uther for the first time in the main hall, leaving Gwen to go assist Aria. She had heard arguing from the prince and princess's chambers and worried that the two were fighting in front of the child. But then Merlin ran out of the room, without seeing her standing by. When she walked into the room, she could clearly see the troubled look on Aria's face. Gwen didn't ask out of respect and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened. What she did know was that something was wrong. Again.

"Nothing ever stays right, does it?" she sighed, placing Naya in her crib. The infant did not sleep, just stared up at her with wide, innocent eyes, waiting for her to continue. "I could be wrong, they could have been arguing about something as trivial as mopping the floor." She tilted her head to one side, making Naya giggle. "As long as it wasn't your mother and father. God knows how long it took for them to get along."

Naya let out a yawn. "I'm boring you, aren't I?" Gwen chuckled. She pulled up a chair next to the child's crib. "My stories could get you to sleep faster than Aria's humming. And I shouldn't speak of your parents that way. They're both amazing people, they are. Especially your father."

Not again. It was that time of the evening where Gwen found herself thinking about Arthur once again. She had shoved these thoughts into the recesses of her mind over the past two years, upon hearing of Arthur's arranged marriage. _Throw it out of your head_, she scolded herself, _No matter who you are, you can't compete with royalty. And he knows better than to let his own father down._

"I used to think he was an extremely pretentious and condescending bully," she went on, more to herself than to Naya, "But it turns out I did not know him as well as I thought I did. Your father is good and kind and would die protecting the ones he loves. I know he'll be a great king and any child of his would be the next perfect fit." Naya kept her blue eyes firmly on Gwen, although they were starting to flutter from sleepiness.

"You'll see soon enough, little one," Gwen said quietly, "You have wonderful parents." The maid meant it. She meant every word she said to the baby. There were some things she did not say out loud, even though they would never be repeated- her unfading feelings for Arthur, the time she kissed him, the twinge of jealousy she felt at Arthur and Aria's wedding… and the sadness she felt now, taking care of _their_ child. She had dreamt of this differently, but who was she to want changes?

Naya's eyelids slowly lowered and she was sleeping. Gwen felt she must have been going mad. She had been confessing her thoughts to a two-month old baby who had no idea what in the world she was talking about. It felt comforting, though, knowing that Naya could not understand what she was saying. It meant the secret was safe with her and she would tell no one.

It was then the maid heard voices outside the chambers and the doors swinging open. The royal couple walked in, laughing for whatever reason. Gwen hid her jealousy and stood up, smiling at them. "A little quiet," she whispered, "Naya's asleep."

"Bless you, Gwen," Aria sighed, "Did it take long? Did she eat away at your energy?"

"No, actually! I just laid her down and she slowly drifted off." _As I told her little by little just what I'm hiding in me for so long. _

"Well, it's not just the baby's time for bed." Arthur yawned and left the two women to disappear behind the screen. "I've had a long day and tomorrow's going to be even longer, what with the feast and everything."

Aria shook her head at Gwen. "Thank you so much, Gwen. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."

"It's merely my pleasure, my lady," Gwen replied, offering up her signature shy smile. She looked around the room, realizing that Merlin had not followed Arthur back to their chambers. "Where's Merlin? He's usually here in the evenings."

Aria's lit up face faded and she looked uneasy. "I suppose he was just tired from today and went to bed himself."

"Without even my consent!" Arthur interrupted, reappearing from the screen, ready for bed. "What if I needed him? I barely saw him all day and when I did, he tells me Gaius had errands for him. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was avoiding us on purpose." Arthur was joking but Gwen could see the troubled expression come back to Aria's face once more. The princess looked up, forcing another smile. "It's late. You should go to bed. Thank you again."

"Of course. Best I go check on Morgana, make sure she is settled in." Gwen curtsied quickly. "Goodnight, my lady. And you too, my lord."

They bid her goodnight back and she left their chambers, making her way to Morgana's. The more she thought about it, the more Gwen became worried. What had Merlin and Aria been arguing about? She cursed herself for not coming by earlier to find out and catch bits of conversation. It was wrong to do so but her curiosity was killing. Did Arthur know they had argued? Could it explain why he'd been scarce today? _For crying out loud, Gwen, it's none of your business._

This was Guinevere's place- a maidservant, nothing more. She was not a queen or princess or even worthy of Prince Arthur's love. That position was taken. Gwen knew where she stood. And it was not where she had dreamt of being.

* * *

Morgana had done whatever she had been instructed to do. She had rose from bed that morning, bathed, put on her best dress and accessories, and greeted Uther emotionally and affectionately. He cried happy tears for her, a surprise as Morgana had not been sure the king was capable of producing tears. She apologized over and over again for her out-of-line behavior towards him last year and promised to never defy him again. And she wiped his tears with her handkerchief. The very same one Morgana had with her right now as she rode on her horse into the forest outside Camelot.

The ward had made sure she was not being followed. She wore her dark purple cloak over her head and face the wind as she rode, anxiously and fearfully. Morgana was doing something that went against her promises and she wasn't positive it was what she wanted to do anymore.

It wasn't hard to find the cave. The directions had been precise and it didn't take too up too much time. Morgana lifted her head up and her green eyes scanned the outside of the cave, her heart pounding inside her chest. It wasn't too late to turn back and forget the plan. But she would be found. And she wasn't about to risk that.

Morgana got off her white horse and walked into the cave, the glare of the fires inside assuring her that she had come to the right place. Two hooded figures nodded their heads briefly at her. Ignoring them, she quickly walked in to the slit of a cave, the dark space adorned with ropes and branches and a large cauldron filled with thick black tar in its center. A slender, blond woman stepped out to greet her. She wore a sparkling silver and red dress, gazing at the other woman. "My sister?"

Morgana pulled back her hood, smiling nervously. "Morgause."

The witch came forward, holding out her hands to take hers. "Are you well."

"Camelot has welcomed their daughter back with open arms," the ward replied, "And so have my friends."

"Uther does not suspect?"

"No, he does not. And neither does anyone else." The guilt set in as Morgana thought of her friends and how happy they had been to see her. She had not turned against them at all but it felt like she was.

"And the boy and the princess?" Morgause questioned, her large brown eyes looking at Morgana expectantly. "They are well? As I had promised you?"

Morgana nodded. "They were. I'm still so grateful that you saved them."

"Anything for you, my sister," the older woman assured. "But what else? Has anything changed? Are they still continuing their affair?"

Morgana shook her head. "They've stopped. I hadn't spoken to Aria but I had to Merlin. He told me it was stupid and it should have never been done."

"He would tell you anything to make sure you never speak of the hemlock incident," Morgause pointed out, "After all, the boy would not want anyone finding out about what he did to the dear princess."

The ward bit her lip, unsure of what to say next until she remembered. "He would not have had to do it if you hadn't made her the source."

The smirk faded from Morgause's face and she became serious. "Would you have wanted me to make you the source of the enchantment?"

"I would have liked it if you never set the enchantment at all," Morgana muttered, looking away. To this day, she blamed herself for the illness that fell upon the people of Camelot. If that had not happened, she never would've run away with Morgause in the first place to save the lives of her friends.

Morgause placed a soft hand on her cheek. "I fear you are angry with me, Sister," she murmured, "You know I do all this for you."

"And I worry that innocent lives will be lost because of me," the ward said shakily, "It would have happened before. I almost don't want this to carry on. I want to see Uther fall but not the ones I care for- Arthur, Gwen, Aria, Merlin…" Morgana turned away from Morgause, feeling the urge to run out of here and ride back to Camelot. She would forget the witch, forget the year spent thinking of ways to grant her wishes of taking Uther off the throne. Not that much damage had been done- she could still leave.

A hand rested gently on her shoulder. "You need not to worry, Morgana," said Morgause's quiet voice. "I do not wish to upset you. I only aim to bring about the fall of our enemies, not those you love."

Morgana turned around, her eyes threatening tears. "Do you promise me, then? Promise to keep those who are innocent safe?"

"I will try my best."

"No." The woman grabbed Morgause's arm. "No trying. _Do it_. Promise me that you will."

Morgause stared at Morgana before slowly nodding her head. "I promise, my sister."

Morgana breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The witch looked down as the ward handed her the handkerchief with Uther's tears. "I don't know what you intend to do, but I trust you."

"You have every reason too." A smirk crept up on Morgause's face as she took the cloth and held it up from inspection. "You've done well. The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall." Morgana did not know what that meant and she was afraid once more. _What am I getting myself into… there is no way she is keeping her promise…_

"Before I begin," started the witch, "I must know. You have not said anything to Aria? You've only spoken to Merlin?"

Morgana nodded cautiously. "I have. I don't want to stress her any more than she already is. What with being a wife to Arthur and a mother to Naya-"

At this, Morgause paused, the cloth about ready to slip from her fingers and into the dark tar inside the cauldron. "Mother? Did you say Aria is a mother now?"

Again, another nod. "Yes. She gave birth two months ago to a girl. They named her Naya." The look on her sister's face made Morgana's stomach turn. She grabbed Morgause's arm again. "Please, I beg you to keep her promise. She is only an infant, don't drag her into this-"

"It is not that, Sister," Morgause muttered. She held the handkerchief in her hand, looking thoughtful and intense.

"Morgause? What is it?" Morgana pressed.

The witch looked up. "Do you remember what I told you of Aria's mother?"

"Yes… Sparrow was her name, was it?"

Morgause nodded. "Yes. We were great friends. She confided in me a lot and I the same. Leaving her husband was something she had planned to do for a long time."

_Amazing how sorcery can change a person_, Morgana thought to herself. "I remember, but why does this matter now? And why does it bother you?"

"I am not sure where she is now or if she even still is alive but I am trying to recall what she said to me before she left Alec and Aria."

"What? What is it?" When the woman did not speak, Morgana exhaled impatiently. "Morgause! Enough secrets, I've had it with them! Tell me!"

Morgause finally glanced back at Morgana. When she responded, her tone was calm and steady. "Aria was not supposed to be able to produce. Her mother did not leave her without making sure of it, though she would not explain why. A spell of dark magic. That is why she could not keep her first one." Morgause raised her tone as shock began to settle inside of Morgana, pressuring her stomach to throw back whatever she had consumed for dinner. "Something has broken that spell, Morgana. And it was not Arthur."

* * *

**A/N: Uh ohhhh… was that a shocker, or what? I'm sure I left you all with plenty of questions but don't I always answer them? Well readers, this chapter was told through Gwen and Morgana's eyes. Two characters who are going to become increasingly important this "season", if you don't mind me using that word. There was a lack of Merlin and Aria this chapter but bear with me, this was important! If anyone on Team Merlin was waiting for Arwen action, I hope this satisfied you for the time being. But don't come at me with your swords, Team Arthur! I'm constantly getting ideas so you won't know what happens until it does!**

**Please review! More dragons will be born that way. Cheers! **


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Morgana did not sleep that night. She rode back to Camelot, more shaken than ever before. The ward had spent more time at the cave with Morgause than she had originally planned to. And she now knew more than she should have.

Tossing and turning in bed, Morgana squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the thoughts swimming in her head. Even her healing bracelet was no consolation. This had nothing to do with her dreams but more with what she had discovered today from Morgause. Now she was _very_ unsure whether or not this whole set-up with bringing Uther down was a good thing to do. No matter what, someone innocent was going to get hurt and Morgana could never forgive herself for that. She still was not over the day the Knights of Medhir came to Camelot.

It was impossible to calm down; how could she? Morgana now held more secrets than she ever had. And if one was released, it could mean serious consequences. She was not about to endanger the lives of people she cared about once again.

"_How is that possible? She gave birth two months ago!" Morgana had laughed off._

"_A spell can be broken. There is always a way to reverse the effects, if you are powerful enough," Morgause had said, stepping next to the cauldron. _

"_Wouldn't that require magic?" the ward pressed, crossing her arms and feeling a slight chill enter the cave._

"_Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There are things that not even the power of magic can triumph over, and yet everyone, sorcerers and warlocks and regular humans alike all have. In this case, I cannot say."_

"_It would make more sense if Merlin had magic," Morgana replied, "But he doesn't. And neither does Aria. I would know, they trust me and I trust them."_

"_You need to let go of this trust you have, Morgana," Morgause had insisted. "Anyone who isn't like you is your enemy."_

"_You told me you wouldn't hurt them." Morgana's eyes narrowed._

"_And I will stand by that. But I won't hesitate to say that you may change your mind in the future." Morgause looked into the tar. "Let's not discuss it any further. There are more important matters to focus on."_

"_Hang on," Morgana had interrupted, "You didn't finish telling me about Aria. Why did Sparrow put that spell on Aria? Why does she not want her to bear children?"_

"_If I remember accurately, she was aware of Alec's plans to arrange a marriage for Aria in order to confirm an alliance between kingdoms. Her act of leaving was careless to her daughter and she did not want Aria to bring another child into a world filled with hatred and refusal of acceptance towards the people she had grown to love. Not many kingdoms accept magic and she knew that when she had her."_

"_What kind of reasoning is that?" Morgana was angry at this. "She's miserable with her life so she thought making Aria unhappy would make it all better? She wasn't there when Aria lost her first child, she didn't see how much it changed things between her and Arthur."_

_Morgause smiled softly. "I know how you feel, I couldn't quite understand why Sparrow did what she did. It is a secret, Morgana. Do not tell anyone, _especially_ not Aria. Promise me?"_

Of course she promised, she understood that much. The rest, she didn't, starting with why a mother could do such a thing to her daughter. The next, how did this spell break? Was Merlin the cause of it? Was Morgause sure that Arthur could not have been the reason?

Morgana should have felt satisfied she had secrets against her enemies. Her sister had told her so. It would help them if their enemies tried to stop them. But Morgana did not feel like she had enemies; and she certainly wasn't about to take advantage of this. No matter what she did, something bad would happen.

One thing was for sure- she simply could not hurt her friends anymore. She just could not.

* * *

The sound of swords clanging against each other filled Merlin's ears as he sat and sharpened Arthur's weapons. Occasionally he would glance up and watch the prince battle his fellow knights. This morning, he practiced with a piece of cloth covering his eyes. Somehow, he could manage to take on two or three knights at once without his vision. Merlin was impressed with Arthur yet it did not change the fact that he regarded him as a complete show-off.

The prince took off his blindfold and called for an exchange of weapons. Merlin got up to go get a new one for him as he approached the table. "What'd you think?" Arthur prompted, out-of-breath. He tossed the cloth at Merlin and took a sip of water.

"Seemed better," Merlin shrugged, choosing not to feed Arthur's ego so early in the day. Arthur scoffed. "Of course, well, you are the expert and fighting with your eyes closed. My own wife can fight better than you can."

Merlin's face turned red, mostly because Arthur basically said a woman was stronger than he was. "You didn't see what I did when we were rescuing Morgana," he countered, even though he knew it wouldn't do much to make his master take back his words.

"Because you were hiding behind a tree."

The warlock chuckled incredulously. "I was not!"

Arthur put his cup down and shot Merlin an unconvinced smile before turning to address his men. "I'm not going to use a blindfold this time, I'm just going to fight like Merlin here." He put on a helpless, sniffling expression and started mocking Merlin, acting like he could barely get a good grip on his sword. His men laughed openly, looking at Merlin to see what his reaction would be. The warlock was about ready to unleash his magic and show just how powerful he truly was just to shut Arthur's arrogant mouth up. Instead, he forced a smile as if appreciation Arthur's poor imitation of his combat skills. Once the prince was done entertaining his knights, he looked back at Merlin with a triumphant, toothy grin before returning to fighting seriously.

Merlin considered letting this slide but the opportunity was too good to pass up. Seizing the moment, his eyes flashed gold and the sword slipped out of Arthur's hand. A knight hit at his stomach with his flail, knocking the breath out of him. He fell onto the ground, face-first into a circle of mud. Fighting the urge to laugh out loud, Merlin smiled quietly to himself. It was a small victory but it was enough to get even. And enough to cause Arthur to end battle practice earlier than usual. The servant handed him the blindfold, sounding as innocent as possible. "What happened there, sire?"

Arthur glared at him, wiping mud from his face. "A small slip." He spat at the ground as some had gotten in his mouth. "It's over. I have to go and get ready for the feast tonight. I wouldn't want to show up smelling like dirt at Morgana's celebration."

"Of course," Merlin nodded, keeping a straight face as he gathered up the weapons and followed his master back inside the castle.

"I'll need you to draw my bath, polish my armor, and launder my best clothes," Arthur listed off, walking up the stairs. It was as if the weight in Merlin's arms felt heavier than it actually was but if a complaint escaped his lips, Arthur would pile on more work. "No problem, sire."

"And try not to do it around Naya, she's sensitive to sounds and your prone to making too much noise."

Merlin clenched his teeth. "Yes, sire." If Naya was sensitive to sounds, he was sensitive to hearing her name. That was the one thing he could not get out of his mind ever since yesterday when he held the baby in his arms- the connection he felt with her. Maybe he was just crazy and wanted so badly to believe that there was still something between him and Aria. There was no one to ask. Aria was refusing to see reason and Gaius did not know a thing about what happened a year ago. And everyone else was out of question, though Merlin was a little worried Gwen may have overheard him and the princess arguing earlier.

Later on in the evening, preparations were being made for the feast, honoring Morgana's safe return to Camelot. The kitchens cooked more food than needed, including the favorites of their royal family. The servants of the household decorated the dining hall with candles and flowers and the flags bearing the sigil of Camelot. The guests arrived, wearing their best garments and in high spirits. Morgana and Aria were looking especially stunning for the occasion, adorned in elegant gowns and jewelry. Arthur had guards outside their chamber doors as Naya slept but Gwen took it upon herself to make frequent check-ups on the child.

"That's the third time in ten minutes, Gwen," Merlin said in a low voice as the maid reappeared from checking on Naya once again.

"Can you blame me?" Gwen replied, keeping tabs on both her ladies, "How can those guards hear anything through those thick helmets? She could be crying for hours and they wouldn't know." She laid her eyes on the princess. "Besides, Aria worries easily when it comes to Naya. It would put her at ease if I was the one running back and forth, not her."

Merlin followed Gwen's brown eyes to meet the back of the chairs of their prince and princess, sitting next to each other. As Arthur leaned over to whisper something in Aria's ear, Merlin felt his muscles tense up. The warlock looked back at Gwen to see that her face held the same hint of jealousy as his. He had almost forgotten how she used to feel for the king's son.

"You shouldn't stare so much," he whispered.

"Good idea," she replied. They both turned around, Merlin holding a jug of wine, and Gwen unsure of what to do with her hands. They stayed silent until she spoke again. "Did I make it too obvious?"

Merlin fought a smile. "From the looks of it, it was definitely bothering you."

Gwen sighed. "I swear, I'm trying not to show it, but…" she turned her neck to look at the couple once more. "Sometimes it's just hard."

Merlin followed her gaze, knowing exactly how she felt. In a strange way, it was amusing how the two servants were in love with opposite masters yet neither of them noticed. And if they did, they didn't want to acknowledge it. "It's alright, Gwen," he murmured as he set the jug down on the table nearby. "It may be over, but I'm positive he hasn't forgotten."

"Don't say that!" the serving girl whisper-snapped, widening her eyes. She looked back at Arthur. "It's not right to discuss such things, Merlin, and you know it. Who am I to throw myself in their marriage?"

_You should have directed that question to me two years ago, Gwen_, Merlin thought but he didn't say it out loud. "I know you won't. But I was just saying."

Gwen opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Arthur's voice. "Merlin," he called, turning in his chair, "When you and Guinevere are done having your own tea party, would it absolutely kill you to refill my glass?" A blush crept up on both servants' cheeks as he had caught them talking quietly amongst each other. He leaned in to refill Arthur's wine glass as Gwen went to see if Morgana wanted anything. After a few more minutes, the loud sounds of laughter and casual chatter died down as Arthur cleared his throat and Uther lifted himself from his seat. Gwen and Merlin separated and stayed silent.

"I'm glad to be standing here," he began, his speech slurred thanks to the many cups of wine he had, "And seeing so many happy faces. Seems almost like a dream…" Uther paused and looked to Morgana, sounding about ready to choke up. "I can tell you, I have not felt like this in a long time."

"What, drunk?" Arthur interrupted teasingly and the room erupted into laughter again.

Uther playfully hit his son with his napkin before addressing Morgana again. "I would search the entire world, the seas, the skies, the stars for that smile. To have it stolen from me was like a blade to my heart." Morgana looked up at the king with an expression so touched, Merlin was sure they would both burst into tears any minute. "Morgana, there are no words. You mean more to me than you ever will now…" He swallowed and raised his cup. "To the Lady Morgana!"

"To the Lady Morgana!" Everyone raised their cups and echoed Uther's words, drinking in honor of the king's beloved ward. Morgana looked on gratefully, standing up to hug her guardian. Merlin had taken to letting his eyes wander the room, eyeing everyone's moods and changes in expressions. The guests appeared to be in high spirits, drinking and eating and laughing, rejoicing at Morgana's return. He watched the king stumble backwards and assure the people around him he just needed some air. Uther left the dining hall as Morgana took a seat.

Merlin willed himself not to glance in Arthur and Aria's direction but he failed in that as he was constantly looking back the way Gwen was. He wanted this night to be over so badly so he wouldn't have to see them together anymore, playing the so-called happy family everyone else saw them to be when he knew the truth all along. Merlin's eyes didn't overlook the way Arthur had placed his hand above Aria's as if to remind everyone in the room just whose wife she was. She said something to him and he laughed as if it was the funniest thing he'd heard in his entire life. The sight made Merlin want to gag. _Oh really, that's just too much_. _No one else can see right through them?_

"More wine, sire?" he cut in, coming between them. Arthur gave him a weird expression. "…No, thank you, Merlin, you refilled my cup just a moment ago."

"Are you sure?" Merlin insisted. On his right side, Aria heaved a big sigh and looked the other way. She knew he was just trying to get under her skin. Granted he didn't want to, but he couldn't take the sight before him any longer and needed to put distance between them.

"Yes, Merlin, I'm sure," Arthur snapped. "Will you please move back, Aria was telling me something."

"Really?" Merlin exaggerated, turning his neck and forcing a smile at Aria. "My apologies, my lady."

"Oh, no problem, _Mer_lin," she snipped, shooting him a glare and imitating the way Arthur said his name. "I can just continue it when you're done interrupting." She smiled innocently at him when he threw the same glare in her direction.

"You heard the lady," Arthur added, smiling at the princess approvingly. She seemed to be catching on nicely with the bantering way he talked to Merlin sometimes. "Move along now and let her finish."

"Again, I'm _so_ sorry," Merlin said dramatically, backing up and fuming to himself. _I'm so sorry, Lady Aria, so terribly sorry for interrupting your precious conversation with your precious husband so I'll just let you both soak up in all your glorious preciousness…_

His mocking thoughts were cut off by the sound of loud, agonizing screams coming from outside in the square. Everybody rose from their seats quickly, looking around the room as guards came in and called for Arthur. Promptly, he stood up and ran outside, Merlin chasing after him. They were met with a shocking sight- King Uther was lying on the ground, surrounded by Camelot guards, clutching his head and whimpering. Gaius had come to him first, bending down to see what was wrong with him.

Together, Arthur and Merlin carried Uther to his chambers, Aria, Gaius, and Morgana following closely after them. The ward whipped back the covers of his bed and the two men laid him down. Uther's eyes were closed and he appeared passed out.

"Careful," Morgana said frantically, "Is he going to be alright?"

"We should let him sleep till the morning," Gaius advised. Merlin looked at Uther's practically lifeless figure curiously, wondering if it was something serious or it was just the cause of drunken hallucinations. Morgana stayed by Uther's side as the rest slowly left the room, glancing back to make sure he was still asleep- or passed out, whatever he was. He left the room with Gaius, thinking about to himself.

"What could have made him like this?" came Arthur's demanding voice.

Gaius didn't look back. "I've no idea."

"Gaius, he was lying on the ground, crying!" Arthur pressed, fed up. Aria stood behind him, her face crossed with worry.

The physician finally turned around. "Exhaustion," he said simply.

"Gaius," Arthur said firmly, staring at him. "There's something you're not telling me, what is it? Tell me."

The old man gave Arthur his famous pondering look. "When I found him, he was mumbling, it was incoherent, but-" He paused, uncertain.

"What?" Arthur urged him to continue. Merlin could tell that the prince wasn't going to like what Gaius had to say next.

"He kept mentioning your mother's name," Gaius answered quietly.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at this piece of information. "He never talks about her."

"He claimed that he saw her in the well."

The prince was silent, unreadable. He leaned in and dropped his voice several octaves. "Did the guards see him like this?"

"I think you are worrying too much…"

"People are going to know about this!" Arthur whisper-snapped, getting riled up. Merlin looked back and forth between the two, feeling like he was intruding on their conversation.

"They say that he was ill but now he's recovered," Gaius replied calmly, as if that much could convince Arthur everything was going to be fine. The prince looked like he was about to say something else but Aria came behind him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He relaxed a little but it wasn't enough to erase the way he looked right now. Without another word, he turned and walked away with his wife, leaving the physician and the servant to wonder on their own what could have possibly happened to the poor king.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh, what's going on with King Uther? Psh, you all know, but our characters don't! I'm sorry for the lack of romance in this chapter, as you can see, our dearest Merlin and Aria are currently trying to get the rise out of each other. I enjoyed writing that bit, along with Gwen and Merlin being jealous. And my oh my, just what side will Morgana be on by the end of all this... Anyway, hope this satisfies you until the next chapter! **

**Leave me some love- er, reviews… and love. Cheers, my readers!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Aria had been married to Arthur for two years, meaning that she had spent approximately seven hundred and thirty days in Camelot. Given the events that had occurred, she made no time to venture out of the kingdom and back to her own. When Naya was born, she had planned on going to visit her father or writing for him to come himself to see his grandchild. But after Uther's episode last night in the square, it appeared that once again, it was a bad time in Camelot.

Gaius had tried to assure Arthur that Uther was fine, that it all the energy spent on Morgana had gotten to him and drove him a bit over the edge. It seemed he was getting better, though still quiet and cautious. He was normal at breakfast and went about his business up until he attended to council matters. As Arthur reported of mercenaries streaming into Cenred's kingdom, he started to panic again, pointing and shouting at someone to get out, that he would have them hanged. But there was nothing and no one where he was pointing at. Two of the knights had to drag him away and Gaius followed them. This just proved it that there was more than just exhaustion Aria was not so hopeful to believe the court physician's explanation- there was always something else involved. It was almost humorous how whatever she worried over seemed so irrelevant in comparison to the issues at hand.

The bells rang out in the castle a bit after Uther's outburst and Arthur and Aria left Naya with Gwen to see what had happened this time. A few guards and Sir Leon had found a sentry, stabbed with a dagger on a bed of straw outside the castle walls and called for Gaius.

"The sentry had been attacked at some point during the night," he announced to the prince. It was only them in the room, plus Morgana, Aria, and Merlin.

"Who could've done this?" Arthur questioned, arms folded across his chest importantly. Now that his father was ill, he had to assume control of any more ordeals at Camelot.

Gaius handed Arthur the dagger. "That is the sigil of the blood guard," he explained as the prince took the knife and examined it.

"Blood guard?" Arthur asked, crinkling his eyebrow in confusion.

"Warrior beast sworn to protect the High Priestesses of the Old Religion," Gaius continued.

"I'm sure they were wiped out during the Great Purge," Arthur pointed out, weighing the dagger in his hand.

"Not all of them," Gaius warned, shaking his head.

Arthur was wary as he stared back at Gaius. "So you believe there is a traitor in Camelot?" At this, Aria noticed Morgana look down from the physician and the prince, keeping her eyes to the floor. The princess looked away, convincing herself it didn't mean anything.

"It is possible, sire," the old man suggested, "The sentry would be able to tell us."

Arthur whipped his head up. "He's still alive?"

"Indeed." Gaius nodded his head. This time, Morgana had widened her pale green eyes, anxiety etched all over her face. Aria was even more puzzled than ever. The ward should have felt comfort in the fact that the sentry was alive and they would find the person who tried to kill him. The mere idea that there was a traitor in Camelot scared her, especially now that she had another's life she placed high above hers. God only knew if this traitor had already been around her daughter.

The prince thanked Gaius before dismissing everyone. Morgana hurried out of the room in the blink of an eye. _Well, that wasn't suspicious at all_, Aria thought to herself. Her eyes hadn't deceived her; there was something strange about the way Morgana had been acting. It had started yesterday, when she came to finally see Naya. She had this look in her eyes, like she was hiding something. Morgana insisted nothing was wrong when Aria asked but then she started bringing up Merlin, and what had happened in the past. This was a conversation Aria had tried to avoid with Merlin himself and Morgana was one of the last people she was going to discuss it with. Then Morgana pointed out how Naya didn't look anything Arthur, save for the blue eyes. Aria kept herself calm but the ward's questions were telling her that she was drawing the same conclusions that Merlin was. What made it worse was that she wouldn't be as willing to keep it a secret.

Arthur told Aria he would meet her later in their chambers, he wanted to go see how Uther was doing with Gaius and Merlin. The princess nodded and walked back to their room, trying to shake Morgana out of her head. Perhaps it was nothing. Morgana could have been just as worried as her that there was a traitor on top of what was going on with the king. Still, Aria was going to stay alert.

Later on in the evening, she joined her husband for dinner in their chambers. It was the first time in a long time where they shared a meal together, just the two of them. Well, them and Gwen and Merlin serving.

"Has your father written recently?" Arthur asked as Merlin poured him a cup of water. Aria didn't lay eyes on him, still irritated at him for trying to get under her skin last night. She tried not to let him get the best of her.

"Not recently, no," Aria replied, smiling up at Gwen in thanks as the maid poured water for her as well. When she cast her attention back at Arthur, he was glancing up at the maid with a funny look in his eyes. Gwen smiled shyly at the both of them before turning away. "I was actually going to do so. It might be a good idea for him to come see Naya."

"Now's not the time," Arthur immediately said, helping himself to his meal, "Not with my father in this state. We have yet to find out what's wrong with him."

"I know," Aria sighed, feeling like she was losing her appetite. She was feeling homesick and missed her father terribly. Arthur got to see his every day and didn't even have to move kingdoms. Times like these she wished she had switched roles with Arthur;_ he_ would have to change his life dramatically for her.

"Come on now, it'll only be until my father feels better," Arthur promised, "Once Gaius figures out what's wrong with him and he comes back to normal, we'll write to Alec. It's only right he sees his grandchild."

Aria managed a small smile that faded quickly once she snuck a peek at Merlin and saw the expression on his face. The servant turned his head the other way, the water jug still in his hand. It vaguely reminded her of when she first came to Camelot, when he dropped the jug at the welcome feast. The memory used to be fond; now, it just made her feel sad. Gwen interrupted her thoughts for a moment to ask if she could go check on Morgana. Aria nodded her head and soon it was just the three of them. Arthur's eyes followed the maid until she was gone and then resumed dinner.

"You haven't touched your food," he observed, "Is It not cooked well enough?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. I'm just not as hungry as I thought I was," the princess shrugged, pushing her food around with her fork.

"Are you feeling okay?" the prince asked, sounding concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," Aria nodded as convincingly as possible. She took a sip of her water as if it would reassure Arthur of anything. Tonight was one of those nights where she couldn't stomach anything solid, due to the fact that she felt a bit uneasy. They were frequent in the past and unfortunately, it seemed they were going to begin again. Stress, fear, worry… it all mixed together, replacing any hunger or thirst.

Merlin was staring at her again, Aria could feel his eyes. When Naya began to cry, she had never felt more thankful for the excuse to not stare back. She stood up and walked over to her child, comforted instantly by the feel of her baby's soft body in her arms.

"She wakes up frequently, doesn't she?" Arthur commented, sitting back in his seat and watching her. "Did she this much when I was gone?"

"She's always been like this," Aria replied, coming up with the best response she could.

Arthur stood up, meaning he was done eating. Promptly, Merlin set about to clearing the table as he walked towards Aria and Naya. He stopped suddenly and looked at Naya, then turned and looked back at Merlin, then back at Naya. Aria felt her heart rate speed up. _Oh God, Merlin, please don't look up…_ Merlin sensed there was an uncomfortable silence and lifted his head. _Really now, Merlin, really now?_

"Arthur?" she tried, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," the prince muttered absentmindedly, averting his eyes to Naya then back at Merlin, "Just… Merlin, can you come here for a moment?"

Both Aria's and Merlin's face went white. "Why?" the servant questioned. The whole time, Naya had been staring at him and at the sound of his voice, started shrieking and fussing in Aria's arms. Arthur eyed her weirdly. "Is she okay?"

"She's hungry which means I should go feed her now," Aria said quickly, walking away. She lowered her head, her face burning up, her stomach queasy. That was a close one. All too close.

"I'll just go take these down to the kitchens and go see what Gaius wants," Merlin said after her, running off before Arthur could even respond. Just as he left the room, Naya started stressing out again, choking out small cries.

"I find myself spending more time than I should trying to figure you two out," Arthur mumbled, shaking his head and walking over to his desk. "I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were keeping some big secret from me." His blue eyes were practically burning into Aria's as she calmed down her daughter. "Are you?"

Aria was ashamed to admit that she didn't blink once as she lied once more to him. "No, Arthur," she said quietly, "I'm not keeping any secrets."

* * *

After Merlin went to the kitchens, he went to Gaius to go get a potion for the king. This gave him an advantage to do some investigating. He slunk past the guards at the king's door easily. Earlier today, he and Gaius had discussed the possibility of sorcery being the reason behind Uther's displays of what one might call insanity. Whatever it was, Gaius said that if the people lost faith in their king, then Camelot was all but lost itself. Naturally, Merlin was not going to let that happen.

There was still a traitor in Camelot. When Merlin and Gaius got back to their chambers, the sentry lay lifeless in his bed, his body cold. The old physician had said he had been recovering- and now he lay dead. It was perplexing and very strange. The warlock to see for himself who was causing all of this.

He placed the potion on the drawers next to the bed and looked at the king. Uther was shivering in his sleep. Merlin reached forward to pull the covers over him when he heard a thick dripping sound. He looked down to see a small puddle of black liquid dripping from under Uther's bed. Narrowing his eyes, Merlin stooped down and touched it. It felt sticky and blackened his pale fingers. Before he could do anything else, the warlock heard footsteps and saw a shadow coming into the room. He slipped underneath the bed and felt his face smack against what looked like a ton of straw wrapped up together and covered in the same dark liquid. He scrambled away from it, feeling the sticky stuff on cheek. Merlin kept his breathing quiet as the figure stopped at the bedside. It was a woman, wearing a long purple dress. A hand reached out and grabbed the straw, pulling it off the bottom. Thankfully, she did not see him. As the woman walked away, Merlin peeked out from his hiding spot and felt his insides drop; the woman was Morgana.

It was almost safe to say that the servant had solved the mystery; Morgana was Camelot's traitor. But Merlin had to be sure. He crept out of his hiding spot and surreptitiously followed the king's ward down the halls, out of the castle, and into the lower town. He hid behind walls, watched her every step, counted in his head until he could come out and continue trailing behind her. When Morgana turned her head, Merlin went back into hiding. Not once did his heart slow down, it was beating so fast. He looked and saw she had put her hood on. _Good_, he thought bitterly, _so no one can know who you are next time you stab them._

The warlock followed Morgana into the forest, stopping behind various trees in case she suspected someone was behind her again. He ducked below a fallen tree and looked over it. The crunch of branches and leaves had paused, and Morgana scanned the clearing she was in. Merlin stayed far away behind, eyes never leaving. Suddenly, he noticed three people riding horses into the clearing up ahead. His insides dropped even lower when he recognized the blond woman dressed in armor; _Morgause_.

_She lied_, his mind told him, _she was never captured by bandits_. _This whole year she was with Morgause. Morgana is Camelot's traitor, the reason why Uther is losing his mind._ Merlin felt so stupid for believing her act- she cried pitiful tears, begged him to forgive her, made him feel sorry for her. All along, she was playing a role. Everything was so precisely planned and Merlin was a fool for falling for it. Which could mean a few other things… like telling Arthur everything…

"Sorry you had to wait," Morgause called, striding towards Morgana, "There was much to discuss."

"Were you successful?" Morgana questioned nervously, taking the witch's hands in hers.

"Cenred's army will ride for Camelot on my command," the blond assured. Morgana still looked nervous and a little pleased but Merlin felt the exact opposite. Cenred and Morgause were planning an attack on Camelot- and Morgana was on their side.

"There's nothing you cannot do," Morgana praised quietly.

"It is you who gives me strength, sister," Morgause said kindly. Merlin crept as close as possible without being seen to hear them more accurately. He stayed hidden behind a mossy outcrop of rock.

"Uther is slowly losing his mind," the ward reported, "The mandrake has had its effect. No one knows what is wrong with him."

"So when Cenred's army marches to Camelot…?" Morgause started.

"They will have no leader," she finished. Anger built up inside of Merlin as Morgana said those words; how could she? How could she be so selfish, so cruel? After all the time they had spent searching for her…

"I'm finding that we are ready?" Morgause assumed.

Morgana paused then turned around. "Not quite," she confessed, not sounding as confident as before. Merlin quickly turned around, exhaling sharply. He didn't think it possible, but his heart was seconds away of burst right out of his chest.

"Merlin suspects me," Morgana spoke, walking away from her sister. Morgause looked at worriedly. "The boy? The one that Aria…"

"Yes, him," Morgana nodded, locking her hands together. "I have told you, they are no more. But I spoke to each of them and try as they might, they just can't hide their past. I fear it has risen to the surface." _No. No, no, no. _It took all of Merlin's willpower not to show himself to the witches and put an end to this.

"How so, sister?" Morgause asked curiously.

"You should see their daughter, Morgause," Morgana commented. Her tone of voice told Merlin she was smirking. "Everyone says she looks like her mother. I think otherwise- so much like her father she is. The hair, the eyes… and the poor thing doesn't even know. She'll grow up living a lie." Merlin's hands started to shake, mostly out of rage, and a little bit from fear. Every single thing Morgana was saying right now was true. She had figured it out.

"How do you know this? The baby is still relatively young, perhaps her features are not well developed," Morgause pointed out.

"That's the one thing I'm willing to bet my life on. You couldn't miss it if you were blind," Morgana replied, "Though I've yet to understand how Aria didn't bleed this one out the same way she did last time. You did remind me that her mother made it so she could no reproduce." Whatever Merlin had eaten today changed direction and was making its way back up. He was going to be sick. He would give away his hiding area. He- _Aria was not supposed to be able to reproduce?_

"That is what perplexes me," Morgause agreed, "I would think it would take some strong magic to be rid of such a spell like that."

"Please, Merlin is no sorcerer," Morgana scoffed, "Besides, think of all the other possibilities, Morgause. They are _in love_. Isn't it obvious that true love breaks the spell?" The two women snickered and Merlin gripped his fists. Hearing them make fun of his feelings for Aria was infuriating. _Stay down, Merlin. You need to hear the rest of this._

"If you are right, then you have the advantage here, Morgana," Morgause said after their laughter died down, "Taking Camelot will no longer be difficult. They cannot stand in your way. Not with what you know about them. They will do anything they can to not let the truth reach Arthur."

Morgana's smile faded. "Yes… that is true." Either Merlin's ears were failing him or he detected a hint of hesitancy in her voice. When she spoke, her tone was cold again. "I know what I've said. I don't plan on hurting anyone… that is, anyone who tries to stop me. And I know Merlin will do anything he can to put an end to my plans." _Oh, I'm going to stop you alright_, Merlin fumed in his head._ Arthur's going to find out and he is not going to let you get away with it. Neither am I. _

"He has not told Arthur, has he?" Morgause asked.

"Not yet, but he will," the ward insisted. _Damn right, I will_.

"Well then we must stop him," Morgause decided.

Morgana was smiling. "That will not difficult… because he is already here."

The color drained from Merlin's face. She knew he had been following her. He underestimated just how observant she was. The warlock put on a brave face and stood up to face his enemies. Morgause looked shocked, Morgana looked like she had been expecting him. "Did you really think I was that stupid, Merlin?" she grinned evilly. Without wasting any time, Merlin made a run for it. As fast as his legs could carry him away from the two women and their men.

The warlock was breathing heavily, holding up his hands to prevent any cuts from branches. He looked back and saw Morgause's cloaked men following him. He picked up his speed even though his legs were screaming at him to slow down. Just as he thought he lost them, Merlin tripped and they were upon him.

* * *

After Naya was put back in her crib, Aria busied herself with another book as Arthur sat at his desk, tending to some paperwork. He twirled the quill in his hand, looking disturbed. Aria found she couldn't concentrate on her book; she was bothered too.

"How are you, my lord and lady?" The couple looked up to see Gaius walk into the room. Aria smiled at him but Arthur stood up, throwing his quill on the table and sighing. Gaius looked sympathetic. "Can't be easy to see your father this way."

"No," Arthur admitted. "He's always been so strong. He has this kingdom on their knees, Gaius. To see him now…" Hearing Arthur sound so vulnerable made Aria feel a little awkward. He never liked to show this side of him to her and here he was now, in front of her and the physician.

"I'm sure that over time, he will recover," Gaius replied, walking towards him, "But until then we have to make plans, Arthur. We need you to assume control."

Aria closed her book. It was impossible to focus on reading now. Arthur looked back down at his paperwork. "That's ridiculous," he muttered.

"Camelot needs a leader," Gaius pushed. "It falls to you. You must fulfill your role as regent. This is not just me talking. Members of the court have spoken."

Arthur jerked his head up. "So now you've taken to whispering behind my back?" he shot angrily, "What kind of treason is this?"

"It's for the good of the kingdom-"

Arthur didn't want to hear any of it. "I'm not going to usurp my father." He put his quill down and walked away. Gaius wasn't letting it go. "The palace is awash with rumors. The people are restless…"

"I've sworn allegiance to my king," Arthur pressed, "As long as there is breath in his body, it is my duty to uphold that." Aria watched him stop in front of the window hands behind his back. She hated to think it, but she was agreeing slightly with the old man. He glanced back at Gaius. "You're giving up on my father?"

The old man was silent so he finished his sentence. "That is something I will never do."

Gaius left without another word. Aria abandoned her book and stood behind her husband. "Arthur, you know it's not his intention to go against your father, right?"

"Then why make plans behind my back?" the prince snapped, "Am I the only one left who still has faith in the king? Or am I alone?"

"You're not," the princess soothed, touching his arm, "You've never been alone. I'm still here. I hope you know that."

Arthur finally looked at her, his eyes a little glassy. "You've always been so faithful to me. I truly am grateful for that, Aria. Knowing that you will remain on my side no matter what is reassuring."

Aria willed herself not to cry. She felt worse now than she did before. More than ever, the princess had to keep her past down as far below as she could.

"I always will be," she whispered, swallowing back the lump in her throat and forcing a smile.

"I know," the prince murmured, pulling his wife to him. Aria kept herself controlled as she stayed in his arms. The truth was, it didn't matter at this point if Naya was Arthur's or if she was Merlin's. Whoever it turned out to be, nothing would change. She was raised to be a duty-bound princess, forever faithful to the one she was promised to. Her feelings for another could drive her to the brink of insanity if they wanted to- but she had to deal with it.

Aria's mind could make her suffer as many times as it wanted, remind her of her past, practically scream Merlin's name until she heard it out loud, her heart could hurt anytime he was around. But at the end of the day, no matter how Aria felt, she belonged to Arthur.

And she would stay by him because he needed her now more than anything.

* * *

**A/N: I think I just gave Team Arthur some hope. But as always, something will happen that will cause both sides to clash. If you haven't noticed by now, I have a tendency to tease my readers. One day, it's Aria/Merlin. The next, it's Aria/Arthur. So in the end, just **_**who**_** will the author decide is the right fit for our dear princess? I guess you'll have to wait and find out.**

**I am disappointed, readers! No reviews last time! Please, speak to me your deepest and darkest thoughts… and add a comment about the story somewhere in there while you're at it. As I constantly say, cheers and enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It felt like he had been passed out for days. But when Merlin opened his eyes and saw the sun streaming through the spaces of the trees, he knew it had only been one night. He blinked and felt a bed of dry leaves under him, uncomfortably pricking at his neck. His eyes adjusted to his whereabouts and last night's events came tumbling back into his head like some vividly horrid memory. He followed Morgana… she was speaking to Morgause… they caught him… Morgause's cloaked men captured him…

Suddenly, the very same figures that chased him in the dark were upon him once more, grabbing him and lifting him up to his knees. It only took a second for Merlin to realize they had wrapped him tightly in chains. He breathed out heavily, looking up to see the armored blond woman standing before him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Morgause studied him carefully, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she spoke first.

"You intrigue me, Merlin," she said, "Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot?"

Merlin stared up at her, not answering her question. He wasn't quite sure how to, even though it was a question that everyone must have wondered, particularly Arthur's enemies. Merlin avoided looking at Morgause though he could feel his eyes on her. "You know the answer but you're not telling me. Why?"

He looked back up at her. Morgause began to circle him. "Come on," she urged, "Time and time again you put your life on the line." She bent her knees and squatted down next to him, dropping her voice as well. "There must be a reason."

Merlin didn't look at her; he couldn't. He was afraid that somehow, she would be able to read into his thoughts if she looked into his eyes. "Or is it not Arthur?" Morgause continued quietly, "Is it what I think it is?"

The warlock closed his eyes and reopened them, but he did not reply. There was truth in what Morgause was saying but it was only a small piece of the bigger picture. And he certainly wasn't about to discuss it with this woman. "Answer me already," Morgause snapped, "Why is Arthur's life so important to you? I can only come up with one conclusion and it is because if Arthur is safe, then so is Aria. And your daughter."

Anger shot through Merlin when Morgause touched on that subject. He had to be as vague as possible, just to stray her. "I believe in a fair and just land," he declared.

Morgause looked thoughtful. "And you think Arthur will give you that?"

"I know it," Merlin pressed, believing every word he said. She could go on thinking whatever she wanted, but all that he was saying was true.

Morgause was smirking. "And then what?" She stood up and walked back in front of him again. "You think you'll be recognized, Merlin, is that it? All this so you can one day be a servant boy to the king?"

Merlin couldn't think of anything else to say to her. The witch took advantage of his silence. "No," she murmured, "There's something more… something you're not telling me, is it there?" She tilted her head to one side. "It's the girl, isn't it? She's the reason. You think in the end, she's going to pick you over the king? You're just a servant, and her the future queen."

The servant fought back the rush of magic begging to burst from his fingertips. "I've told you."

"Well," Morgause whispered back, "You can take your secret to your grave."

With a brilliant gold flash of her brown eyes and a quick spell, the chains around Merlin tightened up even more, sure to leave their marks. Merlin gasped and stiffened, feeling the chains painfully through his clothes. Morgause looked down at him, contempt in her gaze. "You chose to poison one of my own. You may regret that."

With that, Morgause and her men left Merlin tied up in his spot. The anger that had originally surged through him was replaced with fear. He didn't know how long he had been staying there, but any spell that came to mind only tightened the chains even more, hurting him. _Note to self: listen to Gaius when he tells you to study your material before you practice it._ Thinking about Gaius led to thinking about him walking into Merlin's room and not finding him there. _Come on, think. There had to have been some spell in his books that could help you…_

The sound of twigs made Merlin jerk his head up, instantly afraid. He looked around frantically but there was nothing and no one there. He struggled in his chains, but he heard more noises and looked up again. No one and nothing. Visible, anyway. All of a sudden, Merlin saw them. First, the large, overgrown stingers and then the claws. _Serkets_.

Merlin tried another spell but it failed. He cried out in frustration and looked back up to see the creatures crawling towards him. They were coming at him from every angle, and his heart was racing so fast, it might have killed him first. This was it. He was going to die here. No one would know of it, not until his body would be found. Destiny would never be fulfilled. Morgana would win. It was over, it was the end…

_No. There is a way. _Turning to the Serkets, Merlin shouted spells at them, causing them to back up in fear. At that moment, he felt an intense shoot up his back and he cried out, eyes widening. A Serket had stung him. Gathering up as much energy as he could, he yelled loudly, eyes turning gold. The creatures were flung back.

The Serket's poisoning hurt so badly, Merlin felt ready to pass out again. He leaned forward, choking out more gasps. _There is a way. There _is_ a way._ Throwing his head up, Merlin channeled a voice deep within him and called for the Great Dragon. It used up what little strength he had and he fell on his side. This was not the end. The Dragon had to have heard him.

It was nightfall by the time Merlin heard the loud flapping of wings. The Serkets were surrounding him again but he felt some of his fear melt away when he saw Kilgarrah flying towards him. The Dragon spat fire from his mouth onto the creatures. The Serkets panicked, doused by the flames. The rest backed away into the darkness. Kilgarrah changed direction, swiftly picked him up with his claw, and flew away. Merlin closed his eyes. He was safe now.

* * *

She found Arthur in his father's room, gazing down at the king with tears glistening in his eyes. Arthur wasn't very good at hiding his true emotions these days and Aria was finding it easier to be soothing when he didn't hold back. The princess walked up to him and slipped an arm around him comfortingly, looking down at Uther's sleeping figure. It was hard to imagine a king like him falling ill like this.

"I need him to get better," Arthur said quietly, sniffing. A tear ran down his cheek.

Aria shifted her eyes to him. "I know," she whispered softly. "And he will. You'll see."

Arthur didn't reply. He just nodded his head and took a deep breath, wrapping an arm around his wife. "I'm glad you're here," he said. She smiled at him, hoping it would lift his spirits a little. "I really am. I don't like to show it but I do need you, especially now."

Aria felt her heart swell. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You need to be strong too, Arthur. For your father."

"I know," the prince sighed, looking back down at Uther with a sad expression. "He is a strong man. And very stubborn. He would fight this until he rises as the winner."

"He will," Aria murmured, feeling the same knot of guilt twist up in her stomach. It would never go away, would it? This feeling that she just could not make up for her past actions. _Look back and you will live in regret. Move forward._ "And when he does, he'll return to being the same strong, stubborn king he forever has been."

"I hope so," Arthur replied, giving her a squeeze around her waist.

"Am I interrupting something?" The two turned their heads to see Morgana standing in Uther's doorway, smiling at them. Arthur removed his arm from around Aria and stood up. "No, nothing," he replied, wiping his eyes quickly. "We were just… checking up on him, that's all."

Morgana's smile faded and in its place, an expression of remorse. "You mustn't worry so much of your father, Arthur. He is in good hands. I'll make sure he's looked after. You just carry on with the rest of the day."

"Right," Arthur nodded, getting up from his seat. "Come on, Aria, let's leave him to rest."

"Alright," Aria agreed, leaning over to cover up Uther properly with his bedspread. Arthur had left hastily for Morgana to not see the tears in his eyes.

"You should go after him, Aria," Morgana suggested, "Arthur needs support right now, especially from you."

"I know," the princess replied, "I just worry for Uther. He is my father-in-law after all, I can't help but wonder what in the world has gotten to him."

"Exhaustion," the other woman answered abruptly, "Can do strange things to the mind."

"Indeed," Aria said quietly, looking at the king's ward with suspicion in her eyes. "You make sure he's fine. For Arthur."

"Leave it to me," Morgana promised. Aria was about to walk away from Uther's bedside when she heard a faint dripping noise. She looked around confusedly. "Did you hear that?"

Morgana stiffened a little. "No, what are you talking about?"

"That dripping noise. It sounds like it's coming from underneath-"

"Aria, I think you should leave," Morgana insisted, stepping aside to let the princess walk out. "You have other things to attend to, let me do my own."

Aria looked at her weirdly. "Are you alright, Morgana?"

"I'm fine, just _leave_," Morgana practically snapped. Technically, she had no right to speak in such a way to the princess but Aria wasn't about to question it. Shooting one last glance at the king's ward, she walked away. _I don't know what's up with her, but Morgana is hiding something. Something dangerous and possibly the reason why Uther is feeling this way._

Besides Morgana, Merlin had been missing all day. Arthur had complained to no end, turning their chambers upside down to find his clothes and supplies, ranting to Gaius about where Merlin could be, and all of that. Truthfully, Aria was curious too. It wasn't like him to run off and be about his own business when he knew very well what Arthur would do. She tried not to let it bother her too much- Merlin was stronger than he looked, he could watch after himself if it was anything dangerous.

The day had been normal, despite Morgana's behavior and Merlin's absence. The only thing that worried Aria the most was when Naya woke up at night, she wouldn't stop crying, not even when Aria held her. She would not feed either, nor calm down. The baby kept crying, like she was still sleeping and experiencing a bad dream.

"What's wrong with her?" Arthur groaned from their bed. "Is she sick?"

"I don't know," Aria responded, going back to pacing the chambers and humming to her baby. Naya sounded stressed, like something was bothering her. But it was only Aria and Arthur in the room, why did she sound so afraid?

* * *

Merlin had been sleeping for a long time. The dragon had flown him to safety and put an enchantment on him to help recover from the Serket's poisoning. Sleep took him again and he woke up in the middle of the night and asked the dragon to fly him back to Camelot. Kilgarrah did not let him go easy- he reminded Merlin of the future of Albion and Arthur's as well, the same thing over and over again. But he was serious… _The great battle for Camelot has begun… Morgana is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love…_

_Morgana._ She had not won. The so-called beloved ward to Uther thought she could be rid of Merlin like he was nothing. But Merlin had powers a witch like her would shudder to think about, though he could not show them to her. The weight on his shoulders felt heavier now more than ever. It wasn't just his life and Arthur's- it was Aria's and Naya's as well. Aria did not know about Morgana's true intentions and Merlin was positive she would believe him once he told her. Anything to keep them safe.

Merlin snuck back into the castle as quietly as possible. Fortunately, he didn't run into any guards on the way back to Gaius's chambers. The warlock found Gaius muttering in his sleep and shook the old physician awake. "You need to wake up," he whispered.

Gaius opened his eyes and stared at his ward in surprise. "Merlin!" he whisper-exclaimed, letting Merlin drag him out of bed. "Where have you been?"

"There's no time to explain," Merlin hurried, handing Gaius his cloak.

"Are you alright?" the old man asked.

Merlin ignored his question. "Morgana is linked with Morgause, she's plotting against Camelot." The words tumbled out of his mouth and Gaius whipped around and stared at him again. "She's responsible for his visions. Come on, hurry up! There's something I need to show you."

The warlock led Gaius back to Uther's chambers, determined to show the evidence to the physician. Both were silent, though it was clear on Gaius's face that he was anxious. He opened the door to the king's room and nearly gasped. Uther was not in bed. The entire room was cluttered, chairs and clothing on the floor. Merlin and Gaius exchanged glances before the old man ventured deeper. It wasn't long before they found him, cowering in a corner of his chambers next to a fire, shivering and whimpering to himself.

"Uther," Gaius gasped, dropping to his knees. The king grabbed him by his shoulders, his whimpering growing louder, his eyes fixed on an empty area. Merlin noticed it was the same expression he wore the first time he went delusional. Promptly, he ran to Uther's bed, bent down and pulled off the tar-covered straw from underneath, and threw it into the fire with all his strength. A piercing scream filled his ears and Merlin held himself from crying out, pressing a hand to his forehead. Uther stopped whimpering and closed his eyes, calming down.

"It was an enchantment, sire," Gaius explained quietly, "You need to rest."

The physician and the servant placed Uther back into his bed. He was given medicine before he drifted off to sleep once more. Merlin and Gaius left him and went back to their chambers, not one speaking a word. Only when the door closed behind them did Merlin talk. "We must tell Uther what Morgana has done."

Gaius looked at him as if he announced he was going to be the court jester. "Are you mad? He'd have both our heads if we made such accusations, he'll call it as treason."

Merlin shook his head angrily. "We can't let her get away with it."

"He dotes on her every word, Merlin," Gaius pointed out, "You've seen how blind he is to her faults. Besides… it's gone now. It can do no harm."

"You don't understand," Merlin stressed, "I heard Morgana and Morgause. There's more to the plan. I'm sure of it."

Gaius left it at that. Merlin went to his chambers and suffered through another sleepless night before waking up to get dressed and eat breakfast and go see if Arthur was ready to chop his head off yet. When he walked into the chambers, he silently moaned in regret for leaving. _Of course_, he thought to himself, minding the mess, _how in the world could he manage without me? _Arthur let him have it when he woke up, ranting about the future of the kingdom resting on his shoulders and demanding Merlin apologize for his absence. Their reunion ended with him yelling, "I'll have _you_ for breakfast!" And him throwing objects at Merlin until the boy left the chambers. The whole time, Aria and Naya had not been in the room. Not that Merlin cared to know. It's not like it was any of his concern…

The morning carried on normally, Arthur going back to giving Merlin his orders. News had reached him that Uther would make a full recovery, thanks to Merlin getting rid of the enchantment (of course he didn't know that part) and he was in a better mood than usual.

Merlin walked down a corridor of the castle, letting his thoughts take over. He had let his curiosity get the better of him and casually slipped into conversation about how Naya was doing. Arthur did not look at him strangely, to his relief, and answered him by saying the baby was troubled last night so Aria had taken her to Gaius to see what was the matter. It explained why he hadn't gotten much sleep. Merlin acted less concerned than he really was. He could shrug it off, think that it was in a child's nature to cry all night… but it had been well established to the warlock that Naya was not just any child.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hand reaching out and grabbing him, pulling him into an alcove of the castle. He gasped but stopped short when he looked into the cold green eyes of the Lady Morgana, glaring up at him icily. Merlin held his breath.

"I don't know how you managed to escape," she seethed, the sound of her voice like a knife cutting into the air between them. She grasped tightly onto Merlin's shirt. "But I do know one thing, if you breathe a word of what you saw, I will make your life a very short and painful one." She released him, a smirk turning up the corners of her ruby red lips. Her gaze sent goose bumps up and down Merlin's arms and she changed her tone to one of mock nervousness. "Just think how Arthur would react when he finds out his daughter is not his after all… but his lowly servant boy's."

Merlin's eyes flashed angrily. "You can't prove that," he snapped in a low voice.

"Oh, but I can," Morgana replied, sounding almost gleeful, "Are you forgetting I was there when you tried to poison Aria and then yourself so you two could die together? Arthur may be fond of you but I'll be damned if he forgave you for having an affair with his wife. He would kill you. And her. And your daughter."

Merlin's heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of Arthur finding out. Morgana did not wipe her smirk from her face. "The girl's the spitting image of you, Merlin. I won't be surprised if Arthur hasn't figured it out yet." She glanced at him coldly, before stepping out of the alcove and walking away from him, triumphant. Merlin was at a loss for words. Morgana was no friend to him or to Aria now. She was not to be trusted with anything. And she held the darkest secret Merlin and Aria had hidden away in the depths of their minds. _What am I going to do now…_

* * *

The evening was soothing, even on a day like this.

Before Aria was a mother, she was the castle's library's biggest fan. She didn't want to rely on Arthur to make her life interesting, he was usually so busy or away. So she read, an activity she enjoyed doing ever since she was little. She hadn't done much in a very long time so that evening, Aria ventured out to the library, leaving Naya with Arthur. About time he spent a few moments with her on his own.

Geoffrey, the court genealogist, welcomed her, knowing she enjoyed books. Aria smiled as she walked down the aisles, letting her fingertips slide over the leather edges of books she had yet to read. It felt like forever since she settled into her cozy spot at the far end of the library, totally absorbed in a book's contents. But those days were simpler. In the present time, life was more complicated than ever. She stopped, letting the events of the day replay in her mind.

Earlier today, Sir Leon had reported that he and his men spotted Cenred's army making its way to Camelot. They would reach the citadel within two days and outnumbered Camelot's men two to one. Arthur was in charge now that his father was still recovering from his illness, and ordered preparations for a siege and opening the citadel to the villagers of the lower towns for refuge. It was a hard decision to make and the prince had been disturbed all day. Aria was thinking twice about leaving Naya with him being so distracted, but he assured her he was fine. Aria was not so convinced. But she needed to be alone. It gave her room to think on her own.

"I thought I'd find you here." Aria snapped out of her trance and turned around to find Merlin leaning against the shelves, smiling at her the way he used to- knowingly, fondly, lovingly even. "You always come here to escape from reality every now and then."

Aria couldn't help but smile in return and shrugged her shoulders. "Even princesses need a getaway from their so-called glamorous lives. I'm impressed you remembered to find me here."

"I could never forget," Merlin replied, "You enjoy reading more than Gaius does."

The princess laughed softly, in spite of herself. It suddenly occurred to her that this was the first time her and Merlin were having a proper conversation since they last spoke. She prayed they would not argue again. "So I take it you didn't follow me here, then?"

"I kicked the habit a year ago," Merlin answered, straightening up. "But I did want to see you."

"What for?" Aria asked nervously. When he didn't reply, she continued. "If this is about last time… I'm sorry I spoke to you that way, Merlin. I was just frustrated and… I hope you're not too upset with me." She kept her voice barely above a whisper in case Geoffrey overheard them.

"Don't be sorry, it was my fault for being difficult," Merlin shook off, "I shouldn't have pushed it at you at the time. Things have been hard, I know as well as anyone."

"Don't remind me," Aria muttered, looking down at the floor than back up at him. "Why did you want to see me?"

Merlin didn't answer for a second, taking a few steps closer to her. Aria took one step back but that was it. She kept her eyes focused on his every move. "I need to know something," he murmured, bringing his face inches away from hers. Before she could respond, his lips pressed gently against hers. The feeling of it nearly made melt to the floor, she hadn't kissed him in _forever_. Merlin took her face in his hands and she let him, kissing him back, even though her conscience screaming at her to stop _right now._

After a few more seconds, Aria realized what she was doing and pulled away from him. Merlin did not move away, pressing his forehead to hers. "Do you still love me?" he asked.

Aria exhaled slowly. "Should you really be asking that question at a time like this?"

"I suppose not. But I want to know."

The princess did not answer. Instead, she took one more step back, fearing she might say too much. "Where were you today? You completely disappeared."

Merlin's expression changed. Aria recognized it- he had a story to tell her. "Aria," he started, "You have to believe me when I say this; Morgana is plotting against Camelot."

She should have been surprised. But given the way Morgana had been behaving lately- she really was in no shock at all. "How do you know this?" she asked.

Merlin told her everything, from overhearing Morgana and Morgause to getting stung by the Serket to Morgana threatening to tell Arthur their secret. It was a damn good thing she couldn't see them now or she would have more to blackmail them with. When he was done, Aria had widened her eyes. "She left you to die?"

Merlin nodded bitterly. "She's not the Morgana we used to know. She's gone over to the dark side, against Camelot and against us. You can't trust her anymore, Aria. You especially can't let her around Naya."

"Gods," Aria shook her head, "I can't believe this… I thought she was my friend…"

"I thought so too," Merlin said softly, "But there's nothing we can do to change her mind. The best we can do is to keep her as far away from Naya as possible. Which means you may need to get a new maidservant."

Aria looked confused. "But Gwen's been so dutiful. I can't just get a new one, Naya loves her."

"As do I," the warlock murmured, locking eyes with the princess, "And any close link to Morgana will put her life in danger. I can't risk it."

Aria looked up at him, into those blue eyes she loved so much. "I can't deny it any longer, can I?" she sighed, "Even Morgana knows the truth."

"Not with me. But with her, you do. Naya is Arthur's, as far as anyone's concerned." Merlin looked a little bothered. "Which means we resume pretending our past never happened."

"Yes, we're doing a great job of it now," Aria quipped sarcastically.

"I couldn't help it… I wanted to. I still love you, Aria."

Aria looked the other way. She dreamt of hearing those words from him, and her mind taunted her with the memories of Merlin telling her he loved her. It saddened her that she would not hear it any longer when they ended things. It was even more upsetting because she had been married to Arthur for two years and not once and he told her "I love you." It really did make someone feel a certain way to hear those three words.

"I wish you wouldn't say that," she responded silently, looking back at him. "Don't leave like that again. You'll get yourself killed."

A slight smile tugged at Merlin's mouth. "Only because you told me to. Or if I do, I'll give you a heads up."

"Merlin…" Aria stopped herself. She wasn't about to spill all her thoughts, tell him it scared the hell out of her when he way away for a long time.

"Yes?" he waited.

"Never mind." The princess shook her head again. "I have to go."

"Stay safe, Aria," he whispered, watching her way away.

* * *

**A/N: I guess Morgana's evilness was inevitable… a shame, I know. I have a thing with going back and forth between Merlin's and Aria's points of view, I hope it's not too unorganized.**

**As you can tell, it follows the plot of S3, but not strictly. I'm changing things around because we have our dearest Aria in the story. Speaking of, she's going to be a total badass in the next chapter. I hope you're all as excited about that as I am!**

**Please review! They encourage me to keep going. Cheers!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_The nerve of him_, Aria thought to herself, hurriedly making her way back to her chambers. She hadn't gotten much reading done, neither had she taken any books for herself. Merlin had so conveniently found her in the library and chose to cross a boundary they had drawn and agreed never to overstep. _First he kisses me then he asks me if I still love him. Who does he think he is?_ Of course Aria didn't want to act as if she hadn't missed Merlin at all- she did, and some days, enough that her heart ached. But it didn't mean it gave him the right to do what he just did.

But there was one thing Merlin had a right to do- warn Aria of Morgana. She still had a hard time processing the fact that the king's ward had turned on them like this. Morgause must have corrupted her- otherwise, Morgana had always been kindhearted and caring and would never want to see her close ones fall, not even Uther.

Aria opened the door to her chambers and froze momentarily. Gwen was in the room, standing relatively close to Arthur, his hand over hers. Once they heard her walk in, Gwen backed away from Arthur, blushing furiously. Arthur cleared his throat. "Aria," he addressed, "You're back early."

"Yes, I… didn't feel much like reading anymore," the princess shrugged, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her again. If she wasn't mistaken, Arthur had been quite close to kissing Gwen. _I'm going mad_, she convinced herself, putting on her most polite smile. "How is everything here?"

"I just… came to check on Naya," Gwen offered, fidgeting in her spot.

"Yes, she's been sleeping soundly this whole time," Arthur assured, nodding his head. "Nothing to worry about." Why were they both acting so anxious? Was Aria not supposed to walk in just now?

"I should go. Goodnight, my lord and lady." Gwen bowed quickly before exiting the chambers in a haste. Aria watched her leave, confusion evident on her face. She turned back to Arthur who noticed her expression. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she replied, though she should have been asking Arthur that. "Nothing at all."

"Good." Arthur turned his back to her and distracted himself by tidying up the papers on his desk. Aria tilted her head to one side and observed his actions. "I know you're nervous," she murmured, walking towards him, "It wasn't an easy decision that you made today."

The prince paused. "No, I suppose not."

She touched his shoulder reassuringly. "But I do have faith in you, Arthur. Your father will get better and he'll see how you've protected Camelot."

The corners of Arthur's mouth pulled up in a small, slight smile. "Your support is much needed, Aria. But I think it best neither of us stress too much about it tonight. We should get some rest, especially you."

Leaving her, he walked behind the screen to change. Aria sighed deeply, feeling like more secrets were being kept from her. And she could not shake the idea that Gwen was here for more than just "checking up on Naya." The small glances hadn't been missed by her and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable, even if she was one to talk. _Don't think about it, you're being ridiculous. Just be the dutiful wife you're supposed to be._

_Not just dutiful. But brave._ Aria recalled a year ago when the Great Dragon was unleashing his attack on Camelot and she had run out to get water. Arthur had feared for her life then, and that night, it was like something had changed. He was different, he started to notice her after that, and possibly have some feelings for her. And she had let him down when she ran off, but for good reason. Aria had wanted to do something instead of sit around and wait for Arthur or Merlin to come save her. And tomorrow… there was more at stake. It wasn't just her life now, it was Naya's. And waiting around wouldn't save either of them.

Aria had to be brave. As a princess, a wife, and a mother.

* * *

Preparing for a siege was easier said than done. The villages from the lower town made their way into the citadel, bags in hand, children following the mothers, men leading the pack. The knights had gathered weapons as the members of the household gathered provisions, aware of the possibility they could be trapped in the citadel for weeks. The maids set up beds for the treatment zone and put together clean supplies to take care of future injuries. That was the worst part - the certainty that there would be casualties. No one spoke of it out loud, save for Arthur who stated it without hesitation.

Merlin was scared, to be honest. The fact that Cenred's army was marching under Morgause's and Morgana's power meant more than just a war with swords and shields- there would be magic involved. Serious dark magic. The warlock would have to be twice as alert and keep track of where Morgana would be running off to. Whatever she was doing was bound to be dangerous.

He found he was letting his anxiety get the best of him as he was tightening the prince's armor for battle. "Sorry," he whispered, frustrated, accidentally pulling too tight. Arthur watched him warily.

"It's not like you to get nervous," the prince commented, fixing the armor himself with his free hand. Even at a time like this, he was teasing the warlock. Some things just never changed.

"I'm not nervous," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "Because I trust in your destiny." Fighting a smile at the puzzled look on Arthur's face, the servant went to get his master's sword.

"Have you been on the cider?" quipped Arthur, looking at Merlin weirdly. He smiled to himself and pulled out the sword slowly, admiring its shine. He weighed it in his hands and said softly but surely, "It is your fate to be the greatest king Camelot has ever known." Merlin handed the sword to Arthur. "Your victory today will be remembered. At every age… till the end of time."

Arthur looked so touched, he seemed reluctant to take his own sword. "Just trust in yourself," Merlin said confidently. He returned to the supplies on the table, mentally applauding himself for his little speech.

"There are times, Merlin, when you display a sort of… I don't know what it is… it's not wisdom," Arthur said immediately, scrunching up his face in thought, searching for the right word. "But yes… that's what it is…"

Merlin couldn't contain his self-satisfied grin. Arthur snapped out of trance and smirked. "Oh, don't look so pleased. The rest of the time, you're a complete idiot." Of course. But Merlin knew very well the prince meant every word he said, no matter how sappy and unlike him it was. There would be time to bask in the glory of it later. Right now, there were more important things at hand. The warlock looked around the room, just noticing that Aria was nowhere to be seen. Naya was gone too.

"Where's Aria?" he called out to Arthur. The prince tucked the sword into his belt, a strange look on his face. "I ordered her to take Naya and go down to the treatment zone. Gaius is going to need all the help he can get tonight."

Merlin furrowed his brow. "Won't they be safer up here?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin." Arthur didn't meet the warlock's eyes and dismissed the thought from his head. "Aria's not alone, she'll have Gwen for help."

"Is it really safe for them?" his servant questioned.

Arthur tipped his head back impatiently. "You know, Merlin, sometimes I am thoroughly convinced that you and Aria discuss these things behind my back, because she asked the very same things you are. She was even worse, she put up a fight about it. Now stop worrying."

"I can't help it," Merlin muttered, looking back over at the table.

"She's not your wife," Arthur snapped, all feelings of appreciation and praise for his servant's wisdom melting away in that instant. "She's mine. _I_ will worry about her. Not you."

The possessive tone in Arthur's voice surprised Merlin and he held his hands up. It wasn't like the prince to declare out of nowhere what was his and make sure no one else even touched on the subject. Especially not with Aria. If Merlin didn't know better, he'd say the prince was trying to make something very clear to him. It made him shudder to think what it was, because he already knew.

After that, the casual bantering was over. The battle was about to begin.

Merlin and Arthur parted ways momentarily, the warlock leaving the prince out on the battlefield. The knights had put up a wall to fight off Cenred's black-clad men. They were doing everything in the power to keep the men from coming into the citadel. Merlin ran to the treatment zone, where it was already crowded with maids tending to wounded knights. His eyes scanned the crowd for the most important person to keep an eye on. They spotted Morgana worriedly bent over a wounded lower townsman. She was dressed in her own armor, a green cloak draped over her shoulders. Satisfied, Merlin went to Gaius who was patching up his own man. "Gaius, one of us needs to keep an eye on her." He motioned with his head towards the king's ward but the old man knew who he was talking about.

The physician nodded confidently. "Don't worry, I am."

"You must not let her out of your sight," Merlin pressed, breathing heavily from all his running. It was crucial to keep Morgana under their eyes at all times. There was no telling what she would do to assist Cenred and Morgause. The loud sound of a burst of flame frightened everyone in the room and they ducked as if it would help. It was getting heated out there and Arthur needed Merlin.

"I have to get back to Arthur," he spoke quickly, turning around to leave after another quick glance in Morgana's direction. Gaius nodded, going back to work. At once, Merlin froze in his spot and turned back around, unable to believe he had forgotten his second thought. "Gaius, where's Aria?"

The physician lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. "She's over th-" he stopped mid-sentence.

_Goddamn it, Aria_, Merlin cursed in his head, looking around the room frantically. "Arthur said she would be here with Naya."

"Last I remember, Gwen was looking after Naya." The two looked and saw Gwen was missing too. Gaius turned his head to face Merlin, reading his expression carefully. "Arthur needs you, Merlin."

"I need to find Aria," Merlin hissed, leaning in.

"What you need to do is go to Arthur's aid," Gaius whispered back, "Aria will turn up, she has Gwen with her. Go, I'll watch out for Morgana."

"But-"

"Merlin. Go." The old man stared at him sternly. Sighing heavily, Merlin turned around and ran out of the treatment zone, swearing nonstop in his head. It was very much like Aria to go and get herself into trouble at a time like this, wasn't it? And with Gwen and Naya! How dare she endanger their daughter's life? _I swear, wait till I get my hands on the princess, oh she is going to get it from me good… right after I make sure Naya is safe._

Merlin ran back out into the square, appalled by the sights around him. Cenred's men had been tossing large, fire-covered rocks into the citadel, spreading flames all over the place. Shouts filled the air, including the sounds of sword on sword, armor against armor, knight against knight. A flaming cloth-covered rock blasted inches away from him, sending him flying and onto his stomach on the ground. The breath was knocked out of him and he struggled back up to his feet. More and more shot out of the sky and as Merlin looked around, he saw every inch of the castle swarming with Cenred's men, climbing the walls, battling off Arthur's knights. And somewhere on the outside, sat Morgause and Cenred, marveling at the mess they had created.

Merlin ran over to where the entrance to the citadel had been blocked, the madness before him a sight to see. His eyes found Arthur and shockingly, Uther, an arrow edged into his leg, his face scrunched up in pain. Arthur had grasped onto his father tightly and screamed out "Retreat! Retreat!"

The knights backed up, running off and Cenred's men climbed over the blockage, swords in hand, shouting. Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he muttered, "_Forbearnan_." A stream of flames burst out in front of the men, halting them in their path. Once that was done, Merlin helped Arthur take his father back. They stopped at the well and the prince leaned down to pull the arrow out of Uther's leg. The king was constantly insisting he battle but Arthur stopped him, asking his father to trust him. Merlin supported Uther all the way to the treatment zone. A few serving boys took him and lay him down on a free bed. Gaius was not around.

Merlin searched the room for the old man when his eyes found Gwen. And not just Gwen. His blue orbs widening, he ran to the serving girl, who was trying to calm a very hysterical Naya in her arms in the corner of the treatment zone. She did not even look up to him, all attention on the crying child.

"Where's Gaius?" he asked, leaning down.

"I don't know," Gwen brushed off, "Now's the time, Merlin, I have my hands full."

"Where were you? Where's Aria?" Merlin demanded, raising his voice over Naya's shrieking.

"She told me to come here, and said to especially not tell you where she was," Gwen reported, hushing the baby in her arms. "Naya, please stop, your mother will be here soon…"

_Oh, I am definitely going to kill her_, Merlin seethed to himself. He looked at Naya, inconsolable in Gwen's arms. She was not safe here and without Aria, she would not calm down. _Well, go on then,_ he told himself, _you're the father, aren't you? Do something._

He held out his hands, "Here," he said gently, "Let me take her."

Gwen widened her brown eyes at him. "Have you gone mad?"

"Gwen, she's not safe here," Merlin insisted, "And you're not doing a good job either. Give her to me."

"I was told specifically-"

"I'll deal with Aria later, just give. Her. To. Me." Something in Merlin's eyes told Gwen to do what he told her. Gingerly, she passed Naya over to Merlin and the same feeling that had taken over Merlin the first time he held the baby came back. The noises in the background seemed to fade away as he took one look at the girl in his arms. Slowly, Naya's shrieks turned into soft mewls and her stress melted away. Despite the current situation, a smile broke out onto Merlin's face. It worked.

Gwen was gawking so much, one would have to physically shut her mouth for her. "How did you… but…"

"No time to explain. Come with me." Merlin stood up with Naya. Without asking any questions, Gwen hurriedly followed Merlin out of the treatment zone. He led her back inside the castle. Arthur was wrong. Naya would be safer in her own chambers with Gwen looking after her than down there.

"Merlin, Arthur does not want us up here," Gwen was snapping in a low tone of voice. "And don't run with the baby, Aria will kill you!"

"Not unless I kill her first," Merlin muttered, opening the door to Arthur and Aria's chambers and running inside, minding Naya. He put her in his crib and faced Gwen who was practically breaking down in nervousness in front of him. "Were you together?"

Gwen nodded, biting her lip. "We were up here. Aria and Arthur had been arguing earlier about where Naya would be safer. It eventually got to the point where Arthur was commanding her as her husband."

_Very much like her to not listen._ Merlin gritted his teeth. "When did you go back down?"

"After a little bit, Aria told me to take Naya and go down to the treatment zone. We saw Cenred's men climbing up the walls of the castle. Merlin, please believe me, I was forcing her to come with us but she kept telling me to go ahead-"

Merlin grabbed Gwen's shoulders. "It's alright, I understand. Did she say where she was going?"

The maid was silent. Merlin threw his head back in exasperation. "Gwen! I don't care if she told you not to tell me, we're already breaking orders by bringing Naya back up here."

"She just… she said there was something she had to do." Gwen closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know if that meant she would go out there and battle or… or outside to Morgause, but I didn't know what else to do, I-"

Something struck Merlin and at once, the warlock knew. Aria was going to go to Morgana. She was going to try and stop whatever she was doing. He took a deep breath. "Gwen, I need you to stay here with Naya. Do not leave the room until all of this is over. If Arthur comes back before me, tell him that I brought you up here."

Gwen nodded, but she had the expression on her face that she was scared out of her mind. "Will we be safe up here."

"I guarantee it. The knights are holding back Cenred's men. You'll be safe up here." Merlin looked back over at Naya who was starting to fuss a little. He went over to her, and she looked up at him with wide, innocent blue eyes. He swallowed, wishing he could stay and protect her. But first, it was Naya's mother he had to protect. "Gwen, go get another blanket."

Once he was sure the serving girl was out of earshot, Merlin lightly touched Naya's forehead with his fingertips. He closed his eyes and muttered a simple spell under his breath. When he opened them, they flashed gold. Slowly, Naya's eyelids began to close and she was asleep in a few moments, just as Gwen came back. Merlin straightened up. "I have to go, Arthur needs me."

"What about Aria?" Gwen said fearfully.

"I'll find her too." Merlin exhaled sharply. "Look after Naya. Don't let _any_ harm come to her, understand?"

The maid nodded for the thousandth time and Merlin ran out of the chambers and down the hall to Morgana's. He burst through the doors to find it empty. Morgana was not here and neither was Aria. When Merlin ran back out, he stopped short. A strange sensation seemed to shoot up out of him, from his legs up to his head, convulsing his entire body. There was a ringing in his ears and an abrupt silence that followed afterwards. For a split second, Merlin was disorientated until he regained sense of his whereabouts but the ringing stayed. _What was that?_

Abandoning all plans to find Morgana and Aria, the warlock sped back out to the square in hopes of finding out what had just happened to him. He stared at the chaos before his very eyes as if seeing it for the very first time. Arthur was helping a knight when his eyes fell on Merlin.

"Merlin! Where the hell have you been?" The prince was calling to him.

He snapped out of it and ran to Arthur. "Nowhere!" he called back, stopping short when he caught a peek at what was behind the prince.

"What's your excuse this time?" Arthur waited for a response. "Oh come on, you can do better than that."

This was not the time for humor. Shakily, Merlin raised a finger and pointed behind him. Arthur raised an eyebrow and turned around, freezing up just as his servant had. Skeletons armed with swords were making their way towards them, bones making clacking noises as they walked. An army of the dead… this was Morgana's work.

Wasting no time, Arthur swung his sword at the first skeleton, backing up when the dead man swung back. As the knight battled one, another was coming at Merlin. The two fought the skeletons off and ran back inside the castle and up the stairs. Arthur stopped him and told him to have Gaius seal off the entrance to the hospital. Another dead man was coming at them. Merlin suddenly realized his mistake- Gwen and Naya were still back in the chambers. And Aria and Morgana were still missing.

"Merlin! Do as I say!" Arthur snapped. Not thinking twice, Merlin ran up the stairs, praying the prince could hold the dead back long enough so he could put an end to this.

* * *

Aria had spent a good portion of tonight keeping tabs on Morgana. She had followed her all the way down to the crypts of the castle, watching her every move and deciding on the right time to make herself known. The princess wasn't stupid; she had come armed with one of Arthur's swords, though not dressed very comfortably. Fighting in a dress was a task all on its own… if it came to fighting that is.

Morgana had a staff in her hand, but knowing her, it was an artifact of dark magic. She watched as the ward tossed aside her green cloak and walked to the very center of the crypts. Raising the staff, she slammed it hard into the ground with a fierce shriek, breaking the tiles. The staff glowed and though Aria was not sure what it had caused, she was well aware it was going to make Arthur's job of protecting the city a lot harder.

The woman stood there, grinning victoriously to herself. She did not even consider how much suffering she was causing; to the city, to her friends, to all those who cared about her. And Aria was willingly going to admit she had just a little problem with the fact that someone was putting her daughter's life in danger.

Enough was enough. Aria stepped out from hiding spot and Morgana whipped around, gasping a little. The princess was not afraid of her.

"Aria!" she breathed, putting on an act. "You must go, it's dangerous here."

"Oh, drop it, Morgana," Aria snapped, gripping on to her sword, "Enough with the games, I know what you're doing." They heard a banging and both glanced up. When they looked back at each other, Morgana was smirking. She was putting no effort into her act at all. "You should leave now while you still can."

Aria began to circle her, forgetting about being harsh. "Morgana, please. Women and children are dying. The city will fall."

"Good!" Morgana spat.

"You don't mean that," Aria shook her head. "What's happened to you? What's happened to my friend?"

Morgana's mouth twitched and she swallowed. "I've changed, Aria. I've become what I was born to be. I have magic. I will not sit back and let Uther use his hatred for magic as reason to take innocent lives. Let him see how his people suffer, then maybe he will truly understand what I and the rest of my kind feel like."

"You would put the lives of the people you love at risk to prove a point to him?" Aria countered, "My life? Arthur's? Naya's?"

"Don't even start with me," Morgana said angrily, "Making it out as if you care for Arthur's life. You're just as much of a traitor as I am. A married woman yet you're sleeping with his servant behind his back!"

Aria's jaw clenched and her fingers tightened around her sword. Morgana went on. "I saw the way he took his own life with yours, don't try to tell me that it was nothing between you two. In fact, it's more serious than you want me to believe. Much more serious. And I saved you so I like to believe a thanks is in order." The ward smirked a little. "I threatened Merlin before and now I will do the same to you. Meddle with my plans and I will waste no time in telling Arthur just what his wife and his servant have been doing behind his back. With that, he won't spend a long time, putting two and two together."

"How could you do this to me?" Aria murmured, fighting angry tears, "I thought we were friends."

Morgana took a deep inhale of air. "As did I. But it looks like we've both been keeping some dark secrets from each other. Friends don't keep secrets, princess."

"They don't betray each other either, you traitor," Aria shot back, raising her sword. "So it looks like we're even."

"Looks like it." Morgana lifted her sword as well. A few seconds passed before she lashed out and swung the weapon at Aria. The princess blocked it firmly. "Want to know another thing?" she called out, blocking more of Morgana's swipes. "We're not friends anymore."

"Fine by me," Morgana scoffed, the clanging sound of their weapons loud and echoing, "I could never be friends with a little whore who cheats on her husband."

Aria thrust her sword out at her in a fit of rage and Morgana barely evaded it. "Don't you ever call me that!" She was taking deeper swings with each word, too quick for the ward to act. A look of fear crossed Morgana's eyes as Aria continuously attacked her. "And I could never be friends with a lying, manipulative, sadistic-"

"Aria!" The familiar voice distracted the princess and her sword hung mid-swipe. Her eyes averted to see Merlin had just come in to the crypts, staring at the two of them, mouth dropped open. Morgana took the opportunity and sliced the sword. Aria shrieked out and dropped her sword, clutching at her stomach and doubling back. "_Aria_!"

Merlin caught her before she fell back in his arms, lowering her to the ground. The princess was breathing unevenly and looked down. The area where Morgana had cut was now bleeding profusely. A dark red stain was growing larger on her dress, the pain sharp and stinging. "Stupid bitch," she muttered.

"What were you thinking?" Merlin shook his head, supporting her head with his hand, the other over her wound. "She could've killed you."

"She's not stronger than me," Aria snipped, her words dripping with venom as she glared up at Morgana. The ward was smirking down at the two of them.

"How I wish I could save this moment and show it to Arthur," she faked sadness, "It's just so beautiful, the two forbidden lovers in one room. If only Naya were here, it would complete the picture."

Merlin's fingers grasped a lock of Aria's hair angrily but the pain of that did not compare to Aria's flesh wound. "You lay one finger on her…" Merlin's words trailed off.

"You'll do what?" Morgana challenged.

They were interrupted by Aria. "I am going to hurt you for this, Morgana."

Merlin held her closer to him. "Shh, Aria, stop, you'll make it worse."

"Honestly, what do you see in him?" Morgana sighed, "You're married to the future king of Camelot and you settle for his bloody servant."

"Screw you," Aria shot, lurching forward then falling back, her fingers stained red.

"Aria," Merlin hushed. He lifted his head up to meet Morgana's eyes. "Morgana, I beg you. This has to stop. Please."

Morgana glared at them coldly. "I have magic, Merlin. Uther hates me and everyone like me, why should I feel any differently about him?"

"You of all people could change Uther's mind!" Merlin continued. Aria glanced up at him. He was trying to sway her but it wouldn't work. "But doing this, using magic like this, will only harden his heart."

"You don't have magic, Merlin," Morgana laughed without any trace of humor, "How could you hope to understand?"

"He does understand!" Aria blurted without thinking. "Believe me… he does."

"Aria, that's enough, you're only hurting yourself," Merlin interrupted her.

"Don't say things you don't mean, Aria," Morgana added.

"She's not wrong." Merlin looked back up at the ward. "If I had your powers… I would harness them for good, use them the way they should be. That's why you were born with these powers."

"You don't know what it's like to be an outsider!" Morgana cut him off icily. "To be ashamed of how you were born, to have to hide who you are!" Her eyes shifted to Aria, the coldness fading away a little. :Do you think I deserve to be executed because of who I am?"

Aria was fighting tears again. "No… I don't. But it doesn't have to be like this. Morgana… we can find another way."

For a minute, the woman appeared to be reconsidering her course of action but it was replaced with the same stony expression. "There is no other way." Morgana's decision had been made. Aria bit back the words she wanted to yell at the ward, make her see sense. But it was no use. Merlin helped her up to her feet and another surge of pain hit her. She pursed her lips to keep it down.

"Take her to the hospital," Morgana said, looking down at the floor. "I don't want to see her die."

"I won't die," Aria coughed, bent over. She was starting to get a little dizzy from the blood loss and reached over to support herself on the pillar. She had expected to be dragged back up to the treatment zone but what happened next was spontaneous.

Before anything else could be said, Merlin ran forward and tried to grab the staff. Morgana was too quick for him. She hit him on his side, knocking the breath out of him. The woman grabbed her sword and pointed it threateningly at the warlock.

"What are you going to do?" Merlin egged on, backing away from her, "Kill me?"

"You know I very well can," Morgana reminded.

"Then you better make it quick." Swiftly, Merlin grabbed Aria's sword and fought Morgana off. Both had completely forgotten about the bleeding princess.

_Well, this is just dandy_, Aria thought sarcastically to herself. _We're both going to die here, me from bleeding, Merlin from being an idiot. _Struggling to stand up straight, Aria fought back the piercing in her stomach and looked to see Morgana had knocked the sword out of Merlin's hand. She pointed it inches away from his chest. Resisting the urge to scream out in agony, Aria ran, grabbed the sword on the floor, and swiped at Morgana's arm. Morgana let out a yelp, a fresh cut adorning her arm. She turned around and glared hatefully at Aria. "Couldn't stand to see a precious servant die, could you?"

"Not _my_ precious servant," Aria seethed, fighting against her own wound and going at it with the ward. Merlin ducked behind a tomb. Aria shot him a split-second look, sending a telepathic order he easily understood. Not stopping at all, she resumed fighting when they heard a rumble coming from the ceiling. It crumbled and Aria felt herself being pulled away from it. Morgana screamed as the rocks fell on her, knocking her out. The princess stopped and stared at her unconscious body before feeling herself being tugged in the other direction.

"The staff!" Merlin shouted. Aria nodded and her head, holding up the sword and running to the center of the crypts where the staff stood. Merlin followed behind her. "Say the word, warlock," she said, ready to strike. The servant called out a spell and Aria swung with all strength, breaking the staff into pieces. They had done it.

Dropping her sword, dizziness overtook Aria and she cried out freely, pressing a hand to her cut. Fortunately, Merlin caught her again before she fell on her back.

"I've got you," he assured.

Aria turned her neck and smiled weakly up at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Merlin returned the smile. "I could never get you to stay out of trouble, could I?"

"Not even." Aria cried out again, killing the sweetness of the moment. "Get me the hell out of here, my stomach is on fire and I'm going to pass… out…"

"Whatever you say, princess." Merlin bent down and picked Aria up and ran out of the crypts before any more damage could be done.

* * *

The following morning, the city was on its way to rebuilding the destruction caused last night. After Merlin and Aria broke the staff, the army of the dead fell and Cenred retreated his men, putting an end to their attack. Anyone wounded spent the night in the hospital, save for Aria, who had been moved to her chambers. Gaius had stitched up her cut and wrapped bandages around it, cautioning her to take it easy from the all the blood loss.

Thankfully, Gwen and Naya had been safe, much to Merlin's relief. Arthur had the maid take care of the child while Aria properly healed. This time, he did not yell or throw a fit about Aria almost getting killed again. She fed him a made-up story about being attacked by a skeleton while running down to the hospital but he was just glad everyone was safe now and let the matter drop.

It appeared that Uther was back to normal as well. He stood at his throne, crown on his head, a kingly look on his face. He had an important announcement to make and had everyone come to the main hall to hear him speak his mind. Merlin had been a nervous wreck all morning; him and Aria had left Morgana in the crypts last night. After what they did, it was impossible she would not say anything to Arthur and the king. The warlock spotted Arthur walking with Aria to the front of the room. By now, he would know what happened and not even the sight of him leading her carefully reassured him everything was fine. He anxiously stood beside Gaius, waiting.

Uther stepped down, ready to make his speech. "In my time, we have won many battles," he started, "None so important as this. Every man, every woman, every child performed their best. I thank you. And I salute you all." Uther paused and continued. "Even before the battle, we knew there was a traitor in our midst."

Merlin and Gaius exchanged glances. "One who was almost the undoing of us. However…" Uther smiled brightly. "We have to thank the one person who outwitted them. And who almost single-handedly turned the battle."

The warlock held his breath and looked over to Aria who had turned to Uther, interest gleaming in her eyes. Was this possible? Were they going to receive praise for what they did?

The king held out a hand. "The Lady Morgana!" The color drained from both their faces as the crowd broke into applause and Morgana glided over to the king. She took his hand, smiling broadly and stepped up to level with him. "I have never seen such bravery," Uther boasted, "She found the magical vessel and destroyed it."

Merlin looked from Gaius to Aria and then to Morgana who looked humble and shy at Uther's praise. Aria was glaring at Morgana with the most venomous of glares, the warlock was glad looks could not kill. "We must stand vigilant! We must stand against the dark forces of magic and make sure that they never penetrate our walls again."

The ward diverted her attention away from the king and to Merlin, a hate-filled stare that burned into his eyes. Merlin stared back, not to be intimidated by her. There was no mercy to be shown anymore. Morgana had come close to killing him and Aria. She did not care anymore of their lives.

_It's on_, he told her without uttering a word. _It is definitely on, Lady Morgana._

* * *

**A/N: I couldn't stand to put this story on hold much longer. I love my OC too much to keep the updates away from you all this long. I hope this was good enough for the hiatus I put it through!**

**Believe what Merlin says. It's on. Morgana's not only threatening their lives, but the lives of a very important child as well. And parents can get preeeeetty fierce when it comes to their offspring.**

**Review away, readers. Next chapter will be up soon. **


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